### Unfounded Claims of Noncitizen Voting Debunked Ahead of 2024 Election

As the 2024 presidential race heats up, former President Donald Trump and allies like Elon Musk have reignited allegations that undocumented migrants are being allowed into the U.S. to vote, despite a lack of supporting evidence. Trump's claims of widespread voter fraud by noncitizens are not new, having surfaced in previous elections, including after his loss in the 2020 presidential race where he falsely alleged tens of thousands of noncitizens voted in Arizona.

Recent studies and investigations have consistently shown that instances of noncitizen voting in federal elections are extremely rare. For example, an analysis by the nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice found just 30 suspected cases of noncitizens voting out of 23.5 million votes cast in 42 jurisdictions in the 2016 election. Similarly, a Washington Post analysis of the Heritage Foundation's database found only 85 cases involving noncitizen voting allegations from 2002 to 2023.

"You look at the margin between candidates in a presidential election, and it is vastly more than even the most inflated figure of the handful of noncitizens who have been found to have voted," said Alice Clapman, senior counsel for voting rights at the Brennan Center.

Federal law is stringent regarding noncitizen voting, which is illegal and punishable by deportation, fines, and up to one year in federal prison. Misrepresenting U.S. citizenship while registering to vote can result in imprisonment for up to five years. Moreover, the process of voter registration requires individuals to attest to their U.S. citizenship under penalty of perjury.

According to David Becker, executive director of the Center of Election Innovation and Research, states employ various cross-checks with state and federal databases to prevent noncitizens from ending up on voter rolls. Despite these measures, Becker acknowledges that "instances when people fall through the cracks" are scarce and do not impact election outcomes significantly.

The federal government has been mandating states to maintain and update voter rolls since the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, which includes efforts to remove ineligible voters such as deceased individuals or those who have relocated. States also use the federal SAVE program and other databases to verify citizenship status.

Trump and Musk’s assertion that migrants entering under the Biden administration can quickly gain voting eligibility by the 2024 election is misleading. Federal law requires noncitizens to live in the U.S. for at least five years as legal permanent residents before they can apply for citizenship, or three years if married to a U.S. citizen. Even then, many applicants never receive a green card, as highlighted by the Cato Institute's analysis of federal data.

In conclusion, the narrative of widespread noncitizen voting lacks credible evidence, and the legal and procedural safeguards in place make such occurrences exceedingly rare, according to multiple expert analyses and investigations.