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Former President Donald Trump has repeatedly made baseless claims in public statements about the threat of widespread voting by “illegal aliens” and non-citizens in the 2024 election.
But away from the spotlight, at least one Republican National Committee official is telling volunteer poll watchers a very different story: that such a vote is next to impossible.
At a private training session for poll watchers in Pennsylvania on Oct. 29, RNC election integrity experts told volunteers that the election system has safeguards in place to prevent illegal voting. Therefore, there is no need to worry about non-citizen votes in the 2024 election.
ProPublica obtained a recording of the training session. No comments from RNC officials have been reported so far.
Credit: Retrieved from ProPublica
The RNC official’s assertion contradicts statements from President Trump and his Republican allies who have warned that “illegal aliens” may vote this year and sway the election in favor of Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris. I am doing it.
“In contrast to the many lies about the non-referendum vote by President Trump and his allies, RNC officials acknowledged the truth,” said Rick Hasen, a UCLA law school professor and election law expert. That’s a good thing.” “It would be better if officials said it publicly.”
RNC officials who led the training session and an RNC spokesperson did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Trump campaign spokeswoman Caroline Levitt said in a statement to ProPublica that Democrats are “asking unpatriotic people to vote and influence our country’s future.” We will continue our fight to secure elections,” he added. Americans’ votes are protected. ”
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Voting by non-citizens is illegal under federal law and rarely occurs. State and federal elections require voters to be U.S. citizens. Government election officials from both parties stressed that safeguards are in place across the country to prevent non-citizens from voting.
That hasn’t stopped Mr. Trump and some of his most prominent supporters from making baseless claims that noncitizens are registering and voting in large numbers this year. “Democrats are trying to ‘stuff’ the voter registration with illegal aliens,” Trump posted on Truth Social in September. Other prominent Trump supporters, including billionaire tech investor Elon Musk and Louisiana House Speaker Mike Johnson, have also made baseless claims that Democrats are trying to “import” such voters. It’s amplified.
But on the ground, Trump’s own party is reversing its dark vision of illegal voting, at least in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania. Joe Nield, a member of the RNC’s election integrity team in the state, said during an Oct. 29 training that such a scenario is nearly impossible.
Participants in the training session asked Nield about the possibility of noncitizens voting in elections and what poll watchers could do to prevent it.
Nield responded that undocumented immigrants cannot legally register to vote in Pennsylvania, so they are not included in the voter rolls used at polling places.
The exchange is as follows:
Training Participant: “I have two questions. The first is, as much as you described them using their ID, how do you know if they are an illegal alien when they vote? etc. If they came from another country, it was fine as long as they had ID. How do I know if they are illegal aliens? How can I stop it?
Nield: “Well, if they’re an illegal alien, they’re not going to be on the ballot rolls, because if they’re an illegal alien, they need a driver’s license number, a social security number, so they can’t register to vote. Because you can’t.
“And since the recent lawsuits that have happened over the last few years, to get a driver’s license here in Pennsylvania, you have to show proof of citizenship. So that’s the one thing that prevents them from getting a driver’s license. It’s a method.
“And they have to. They can’t even get a Social Security number because it’s illegal.”
Three election law experts reviewed Nield’s interactions with the poll watcher trainees. All of them said Mr. Nield’s explanation of the law and the safeguards in place against noncitizen votes was accurate.
Adam Bonnin, a Philadelphia election law attorney, said Nield accurately explained Pennsylvania law and the state’s safeguards against non-referendum votes. Bonnin said Nield’s comments are “completely consistent” with statements made by Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt (R) about blocking non-referendum votes.
“As always, Mr. Trump’s team has local experts who know what the laws are here in Pennsylvania and who understand the reality of how elections work. ” Bonin said.
Justin Levitt, a professor at Loyola Law School and a voting rights expert who worked in the Obama and Biden administrations, said he praised Nield for using factual information in the training sessions. Levitt added that he wasn’t surprised to hear Republican volunteers raising concerns about a non-referendum vote, given what Trump’s campaign has said.
“There have been very effective efforts to misinform,” Levitt said. “But when it comes time to push them and get serious training, I’m glad they’re being corrected.”
In addition to the registration hurdles Nield pointed out, Levitt explained that there are clear incentives to discourage noncitizens from voting in U.S. elections. Criminal penalties can include large fines and prison terms, as well as deportation and loss of the ability to become a future U.S. citizen. Additionally, Levitt added, the very act of voting leaves a clear and obvious paper trail, making it much easier for law enforcement to bring criminal charges for illegal voting.
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“Once in a clear day, I see a non-citizen appear on the list,” he said. “It’s usually a mistake, because it’s not worth it. They’ll definitely get caught.”
Levitt said he hopes the factual information the RNC puts out at the grassroots level will reach the party’s presidential candidates. “It looks like the former president needs to sit in on a session with the people who train pollsters,” Levitt said.
Do you have anything to know about the Trump campaign or voter fraud? Andy Kroll can be reached at: [email protected] Contact us by phone or Signal at 202-215-6203.
