Senator Mark Kelly Dismisses Claims of Illegal Immigrant Voting, Criticizes Proposed Legislation.
Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) refuted claims of illegal immigrants voting in U.S. elections during a discussion on Tuesday about proposed legislation that would mandate proof of citizenship to vote. The Arizona senator, whose state borders Mexico, responded to questions from Fox News’ Chad Pergram at the Capitol, stating there is “no evidence that undocumented migrants vote.”
Kelly’s remarks came in response to a query about his stance on including a bill that would require proof of citizenship to vote in a must-pass spending bill set for consideration at the end of the month. “This is a solution looking for a problem,” Kelly said, reiterating, “The problem doesn’t exist.”
The push for stricter election security measures has intensified among Republicans, particularly as the November elections approach. Part of these efforts includes removing noncitizens from voter rolls nationwide. In a recent example, 138 noncitizens were found to have voted in Ohio during a months-long voter roll audit. Earlier this year, Ohio also removed hundreds of registered noncitizens from its voter rolls.
However, it remains unclear whether these noncitizens were in the U.S. illegally. Despite Kelly’s assertion, similar incidents of noncitizens being registered to vote have surfaced across the country. In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott (R) revealed that more than 6,500 noncitizens were registered in the state, with approximately 1,930 of them having a voting history, according to an August press release.
Other states, including Alabama, Virginia, and Georgia, also reported instances of noncitizens being registered to vote during their audits. As the 2024 election draws near, some conservative Republicans in the House and Senate are pushing to include federal legislation requiring proof of citizenship to vote in a must-pass stopgap spending bill at the end of September.
The proposed legislation, known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, passed the Republican-led House earlier this summer by a vote of 221-198. The measure saw support from five Democrats: Representatives Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas), Jared Golden (D-Maine), Don Davis (D-N.C.), and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.).
Despite its passage in the House, the bill has not yet been scheduled for a vote in the Senate by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). Some advocates of the legislation suggest that tying it to the spending bill may be the only way to ensure a Senate vote.
Senator Kelly, however, argued that it is already challenging to encourage citizens to vote, and introducing new systems and requirements, as proposed by the legislation, would be unnecessary.