The Republican National Committee (RNC) has sent a letter to election officials in eight states, demanding proof of citizenship and other safeguards to prevent non-citizens from voting in the upcoming election.
The move comes after a non-citizen residing in the United States was discovered to have received a primary ballot in Minnesota. The RNC and the Minnesota GOP uncovered the incident, prompting the committee to take action.
Letters were sent to the secretaries of state in California, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Nevada, New York, and Wisconsin, urging them to take steps to prevent non-citizens from voting.
RNC Chairman Michael Whatley stated that it is illegal for non-citizens to vote in U.S. elections, yet Democratic officials have consistently opposed basic safeguards and dismantled election integrity provisions, allowing non-citizens to vote.
Whatley emphasized that the RNC will hold Democratic officials accountable for ensuring that only American citizens decide American elections. He pointed to recent examples of successful efforts to remove non-citizens from voter rolls, including in Ohio, Virginia, and Tennessee.
In Ohio, Secretary of State Frank LaRose removed nearly 500 non-citizens from the voter rolls, while in Virginia, Governor Glenn Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares discovered and removed 6,300 non-citizens. In Tennessee, Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins sent letters to 14,000 suspected non-citizens, requesting they update their registration and provide proof of citizenship.
The RNC letter emphasized the importance of secure voter rolls and urged the secretaries of state to take action to prevent non-citizen registration. “Secure elections start with secure voter rolls,” the letter stated. “States have significant power to ensure that those who are registered to vote are qualified to vote—which includes the basic requirement of U.S. citizenship.”
