Traditionally citizens in a democracy or representative republic get to elect their leaders. It is the norm not to allow non-citizens to vote in elections in countries where they are not citizens.. However, there seems to be a group of politicians in America who are either unaware of that norm or choose to ignore it.
On Friday, The New York Post reported the following:
Welfare offices and other agencies in 49 US states are providing voter registration forms to migrants without requiring proof of citizenship, leading Republicans and conservatives to call for swift federal action to stop the handouts.
Every state but Arizona — which recently passed a law barring the practice on state but not federal forms — gives applicants for either welfare benefits, driver’s licenses, or in some cases, mail-in ballots voter registration forms without demanding proof of citizenship.
There is currently no requirement on federal voting forms to provide proof of US citizenship, though it is illegal to falsely claim one is a citizen or for a non-citizen to cast a ballot in a federal election.
But millions of migrants with humanitarian parole, refugee or asylum status are eligible for benefits that would bring them to the offices where voter registration takes place.
The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) of 1993 ordered states to register voters at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and agencies where Americans apply for public benefits — and those offices are required by federal law to hand over the registration forms along with the application papers.
The article notes:
The House Administration Committee last month approved the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act to require states to receive proof of citizenship when anyone registers to vote by mail, at a DMV or a welfare agency office.
“As President Biden has welcomed millions of illegal aliens through our borders, including sophisticated criminal syndicates and foreign adversaries, it is incumbent upon Congress to implement greater enforcement measures that secure the voter registration process and ensure only American citizens decide the outcome of American elections,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said in a statement following its approval.
…Von Spakovsky believes that if the SAVE Act successfully amends the NVRA, proof-of-citizenship laws would “get passed in a lot of states” — such as New Hampshire, where such a bill is under consideration.
The SAVE Act would further allow Americans to bring civil lawsuits against election officials who don’t have their agencies demand proof-of-citizenship documents.
A spokesperson for Rep. Joe Morelle (D-NY), the lone Democrat who opposed the bill in committee proceedings, did not respond to a request for comment.
Even if it passes the House, the SAVE Act will face an uphill battle for consideration by the Democrat-controlled Senate, though several Republican members of the upper chamber have already signaled their support.
“Preventing non-citizens and illegal aliens from registering and voting in American elections should be a 100% issue in Congress,” Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) told The Post.
“Unfortunately, Democrats have taken the stance that it never happens — which is false — so we shouldn’t give states the tools to ensure it doesn’t happen — which is absurd,” Lee said.
“The SAVE Act would defend election integrity and preserve public trust in the voting process,” he added, “something we need now more than ever.”
Ensuring that only American citizens vote in American elections should not be a political issue. Every non-citizen who votes in an American election cancels out the vote of a citizen. Those who oppose securing our elections need to be voted out of office!