President Donald Trump and his allies are increasingly vocal about the perceived threat of voting by non-U.S. citizens as the November election approaches. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
Trump is pushing to have the U.S. Postal Service send mail ballots only to voters verified as U.S. citizens. The Census Bureau promoted a dubious report about thousands of noncitizens voting in 2020, an election that the Republican lost to Democrat Joe Biden. Trump's Department of Homeland Security is claiming without providing evidence that 250,000 noncitizens might be on the rolls in just four states.
This week, the Republican candidate for governor in Maine confirmed an audio recording in which he said he plans to ask Trump's border czar to send U.S. marshals and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to polling places in the state to ensure that only legal voters are casting ballots.
White House spokesperson Lauren Bis said evidence of noncitizens voting is continuing to "pile up" when asked about the census report. In fact, voting by noncitizens is extremely rare and is punishable as a felony that carries the potential for deportation. Even so, opponents say the hyperfocus on the issue by Trump and his allies is setting the stage for legal challenges to outcomes he may not like during the midterms in which control of Congress is on the line.
"Throw out these deceitful, deceptive claims as an excuse for disruptions," said Alexandra Chandler, director of impact programs, free and fair elections at the nonpartisan Democracy Project. "You can deny the results later."
The census report, which the president cited in a Truth Social post, said it found in a "beginning analysis" that 24,000 noncitizens voted. However, the report's methodology is flawed, and it could help sow distrust.