The Threat of Non-Citizen Voting

Heritage Foundation ^ | July 10, '08 | Hans von Spakovsky

[T.L.Sink]

Thousands of non-citizens are registered to vote in some states, and tens if not hundreds of thousands may be present on the voter rolls nationwide. These numbers are significant. Local elections are often decided by only a handful of votes, and even national elections have likely been within the margin of the number of non-citizens illegally registered to vote. Yet there is no reliable method to determine the number of non-citizens registered or actually voting. Federal and state officials must increase their efforts to enforce laws against non-citizen voting that are already on the books. Every vote cast by a non-citizen dilutes or cancels the vote of a citizen and thus disenfranchises him. The evidence is indisputable that aliens are registering and voting in federal, state and local elections. For example, in 1996 a congressional election was probably stolen by non-citizen voting. Incumbent Bob Dornan was defending himself against Democrat Loretta Sanchez. She won by just 979 votes, and Dornan contested the election in the House, which was dismissed. The House turned up only 624 invalid votes by non-citizens. But the INS database couldn't detect ILLEGAL aliens, who were not in the INS records.

[T.L.Sink]

Spakovsky also observes: "There are almost no procedures in place that allow election officials to detect, deter, and prevent non-citizens from registering and voting. A voter registration card is an easily obtained document routinely issued without any identification check - that an illegal alien can then use for many different purposes, including obtaining a driver's license, qualifying for a job, and even voting. A random sample of just 10 percent of the 3,000 Hispanics registered in California's 39th Assembly District by an independent group "revealed phony addresses and large numbers of registrants who admitted they were not citizens." Politicians have already exploited this state of affairs. During the Clinton Administration, for example, the Justice Department allegedly forced states to offer voter registration to non-citizens. Conclusion: It is a violation of both federal and state law for immigrants who are not citizens to vote in state or federal elections. These violations effectively disenfranchise legitimate voters whose votes are negated or diluted, and they MUST be curtailed." [Spakovsky appeared recently on the Lou Dobbs' show and gave a passionate plea to prevent this massive fraud which is undermining our democracy.]

[Tennessee Nana]

This is not a threat...

This is a happening...

[cripplecreek]

They don’t even need to vote to affect the outcomes of our elections. All they need to do is be counted in a census.

[wgflyer]

And one wonders why our politicians don't care what WE think?

Violation of state and federal laws by liberal political entities, or those who see quick profits through them, has become so widespread, supported almost unanimously by the legal system itself, that citizens have virtually lost their voice. Worse, they don't yet seem to understand nor care about it. This is the fate of 3rd world countries the world over. In many ways we already ARE a third world country. Still, the people sleep.

[Tennessee Nana]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

and cause some Gerrymandering type occurance...

[autumnraine]

You can use a voter registration card to get a birth certificate. Then the birth certificate and voter id card can be used to get a license. That is how alot of ID theft occurs as well as illegals using someone else’s name to work under.

[musicman]

"The Threat of Non-Citizen Voting"

[cripplecreek]

I’m in south central Michigan and my state rep is in Monroe over on lake Erie. Not that illegals did it (but there are a lot here) it is a good example of gerrymandering.

[visualops]

Obama told La Raza the other day that Latinos held this election “in the palm of their hand”.

[caveat emptor]

Nothing new here. My office mate in San Francisco in 1992 bragged about voting twice for Bubba in the election that year.

[Tennessee Nana]

Did you shoot him and put him out of his misery ????

[Mr. Jeeves]

The Threat of Non-Citizen Voting

I think the Republicans need to worry more about The Threat of Citizen Non-Voting. ;)

[Tzimisce]

...but they vote for liberal Democrats, so what is the problem?

[T.L.Sink]

It’s not just gerrymandering. The census doesn’t count illegals when they determine the population - which is what the number of House congressional districts is based on. Thus, one state (California, e.g.) could have far more representatives in the House with FEWER citizens than another state which actually has MORE citizens in its districts! Talk about an abuse of the democratic process!

[T.L.Sink]

I think you’ve got a point. Conservatives are so unenthusiastic about McCain they may just drop out.

[BohDaThone]

The Census DOES count illegals — I think what you mean is that it doesn’t distinguish illegals or non-citizens, and thus exclude them. (I think the statute or constitution does say “whole number of PERSONS” which can be a problem.)

[T.L.Sink]

Great cartoon. But the truth hurts!

[T.L.Sink]

I probably wasn’t clear enough in the way I phrased that. Yes, the census does count the illegals in its population counts. But that’s the problem. They make up part of the count that determines the number of congressional districts. Therefore, illegals carry the same weight as citizens in determining the number of congressional districts and congressmen (and therefore, the number of electoral votes a state has) in each state.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Ping.

[T.L.Sink]

I agree with you about our collective contempt for our own laws - and about our sliding into Third World status. By the way, the title of the best-selling book by Pat Buchanan about the illegal alien tsunami is: “State of Emergency - The Third World Invasion and Conquest of America.” I don’t agree with some of Pat’s political views but he’s called that one right! Even his critics admit the book is well researched and his data sources excellent.