Noncitizen voting, already illegal in federal elections, becomes a centerpiece of 2024 GOP messaging

NEW YORK — One political party is holding urgent news conferences and congressional hearings over the topic. “We all know, intuitively, that a lot of illegals are voting in federal elections, but it’s not been something that is easily provable.” Election administration experts say it’s not only provable, but it’s been demonstrated that the number of noncitizens voting in federal elections is infinitesimal. California has similar wording to South Carolina’s current provision, and Campsen cited a California Supreme Court decision that ruled “every” didn’t prevent noncitizens from voting. Democratic state Sen. Darrell Jackson asked Campsen during the debate last month, “Do we have that problem here in South Carolina?” “You don’t have the problem until the problem arises,” Campsen replied. It’s already illegal in Missouri.” Asked by a Democrat on Thursday about instances of noncitizens voting in Missouri, Republican Rep. Alex Riley said he didn’t have “specific data or a scenario that it has happened,” but wanted to “address the concern that it could happen in the future.” In Wisconsin, an important presidential swing state where the Republican-controlled Legislature also put a noncitizen voting measure on the ballot this fall, Democratic state Rep. Lee Snodgrass said during a hearing earlier this week that she couldn’t understand why someone who is not a legal citizen would vote.