Election integrity is the cornerstone of democracy. Without it, the entire process crumbles. This year, the need for secure and fair elections is more critical than ever, especially with concerns about illegal voting.
The integrity of our elections is under threat from various angles, but one growing issue is noncitizens registering and voting. While some try to dismiss the problem as minor, it’s a real concern. Every illegal vote dilutes the power of law-abiding citizens, making it essential to ensure only those eligible are casting ballots.
Illegal voting by noncitizens isn’t just a hypothetical problem—it’s happening. The question is, how widespread is it? Some would have you believe it’s too rare to matter, but why take any chances? The stakes are high; we need stronger tools to check voter eligibility.
The media might not focus on this issue, but those who care about election security know how critical it is to ensure our voter rolls are clean and accurate. If we don’t act, we risk undermining the entire democratic process.
From Washington Examiner:
Secretary of State Cord Byrd said in an interview with the Washington Examiner on Wednesday that the Department of Homeland Security’s immigration database would be the best tool he uses to check the citizenship status of registered voters — if it were reliable…“It’s not properly updated,” Byrd said. “It’s costly, and we have to have the alien registration number for it to give us a positive result, and many times, we get evidence of somebody being a noncitizen, but they don’t have the alien registration number, so even where we can use the database, we can’t because states don’t always have that information.”
Florida’s Secretary of State, Cord Byrd, has been on the front lines of this battle. In a recent interview, Byrd expressed his frustration with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) over their lack of cooperation in verifying voter eligibility.
Florida, like a few other states, uses DHS’s Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database to check the citizenship status of registered voters. Unfortunately, this system, designed to verify eligibility for public benefits, is not always reliable when it comes to tracking who has been naturalized.
Byrd explained that using the SAVE database is costly and time-consuming. Worse, the DHS doesn’t regularly update its records with new citizens, leaving the states in the dark about who is eligible to vote.
This outdated information is a major problem in a state like Florida, where tens of thousands of immigrants become citizens each year. As Byrd said, “It’s not properly updated. It’s costly.” Without up-to-date information, it’s difficult for Florida to ensure that noncitizens aren’t slipping through the cracks and onto voter rolls.
Byrd’s office has flagged dozens of potential noncitizens on Florida’s voter rolls in recent weeks, sending the information to county election officials for further screening. However, this piecemeal process is inefficient, and Byrd is calling for DHS to proactively provide updated lists of naturalized citizens to states. So far, though, the federal government has been uncooperative.
“They’ve pretty much gone radio silent,” Byrd said, blaming the Biden administration for its lack of help. The silence from DHS leaves states scrambling for other ways to ensure voter integrity, including using jury selection data and driver’s license information.
While Democrats downplay the issue of noncitizens voting, Republicans argue that it’s essential to address to maintain voter confidence. Republican lawmakers have pushed for legislation requiring documentation of citizenship during voter registration, but Democrats have rejected these efforts as unnecessary.
Yet, the concern over illegal voting remains a significant issue for those who want to safeguard election integrity. After all, even a few illegal votes can make a difference in close races.
Florida is not alone in dealing with this challenge. Other states like Texas, Ohio, and Virginia have also found hundreds, if not thousands, of noncitizens on their voter rolls. But Florida has taken a proactive stance under Byrd’s leadership, working to clean up its voter rolls and ensure that only citizens are voting.
It’s a difficult job, made even harder by the lack of federal cooperation. But as Byrd said, “We need DHS because only the federal government naturalizes citizens. They know every single person they naturalize.”
The stakes are clear. As Republicans continue to push for stricter measures to verify voter eligibility, the debate over election security rages on. Despite the claims that illegal voting by noncitizens is rare, it’s clear that any instance of illegal voting is one too many. For Americans concerned about the future of our democracy, this fight for secure elections is one worth having.
Key Takeaways:
- Election integrity is critical, and illegal voting by noncitizens threatens the democratic process.
- Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd criticized the DHS for not providing updated information to verify voter citizenship.
- Republicans push for stricter voter verification, while Democrats downplay the issue as unnecessary.
Source: Washington Examiner
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