A pair of moderate House Democrats are co-leading a bipartisan push to crack down on noncitizens voting in U.S. elections.
Reps. Jared Golden, D-Maine, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., joined legislation being spearheaded by Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., and Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., less than six months ahead of the November presidential election.
The pair of Democrat lawmakers’ support is significant – a bill to repeal Washington, D.C.’s policy allowing noncitizens to vote in local elections was vehemently opposed by the progressive left but wound up passing with support from 52 Democrats.
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More recently, House GOP leaders ushered through legislation that would require proof of citizenship in the voter registration process earlier this month. That bill, backed by former President Trump, passed with support from five Democrats but has not been taken up by the Senate.
The bill’s introduction also comes as Republicans blame the Biden administration’s border and immigration policies for fueling the ongoing migrant crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border, with some suggesting it could lead to illegal immigrants voting in American elections.
"Across the world, the awesome and exclusive rights of citizens are intrinsically linked to equally awesome and exclusive responsibilities. You cannot have one without the other. So, this bill also affirms that no matter where you live in our country, the right to vote in the United States is a right reserved for citizens alone," Golden said in a statement.
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Perez said in her own statement, "We need to uphold the constitutional ideal that decisions made for our country are made by citizens of our country – and this bipartisan legislation will protect the integrity of Americans’ choices at the ballot box."
The bill prohibits states from allowing noncitizens to vote in federal elections, something that is already illegal.
It goes a step further, however, threatening the federal funding of states that allow noncitizens to vote in state and local elections as well.
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The legislation also expands voting access for Americans themselves by requiring states to allow voters who are not affiliated with a political party to participate in primary elections. Currently, some states only hold "closed primaries," where people registered with a certain party can participate in that party’s primary election.
Fitzpatrick said of his bill, "This commonsense reform is not political or controversial. It ensures every U.S. citizen, regardless of political affiliation, has the unequivocal right to vote while reinforcing election integrity by strictly prohibiting non-citizens from participating in taxpayer-funded elections."
