Noncitizens Identified on U.S. Voter Rolls
A new report found 30,000 noncitizens on voter rolls due to clerical errors and system flaws.
Updated on Sept. 25, 2026 in Elections
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A report identified 30,000 self-declared noncitizens who were added to United States voter rolls since 2000. These registrations were attributed to software glitches and clerical errors within state agencies.
Why it matters
The findings highlight vulnerabilities in the current self-attestation honor system used for voter registration. Lawmakers are now citing these bureaucratic failures to push for more stringent federal oversight of voter roll maintenance.
A report identified 30,000 noncitizens added to voter rolls across 10 states since 2000. While fewer than 400 cases of noncitizen voting were disclosed in New Jersey, the full impact of these registration errors remains under investigation.
The players
Mike Lee
Mike Lee is a United States Senator from Utah who is pushing for legislative changes to voter registration procedures.
Mikie Sherrill
Mikie Sherrill is the Governor of New Jersey who disclosed that ineligible individuals had successfully registered to vote in the state.
The details
The voter registration errors occurred across multiple states including Illinois, Iowa, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Virginia. Following these disclosures, Senator Mike Lee has advocated for the passage of the SAVE America Act to tighten eligibility requirements.
Timeline
The 30,000 registrations occurred between 2000 and the present.
The report was released on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.
Political Context
Opponents of the SAVE America Act argue that existing state-level registration safeguards are sufficient and that federal intervention could disenfranchise eligible voters. These groups contend that the identified errors are isolated technical issues rather than evidence of systemic fraud.
Taxpayers may see state-level agencies implement more stringent, time-consuming verification procedures for voter registration. These changes could result in longer processing times for new voters and increased administrative requirements during the application process.
The takeaway
The discovery of thousands of noncitizens on voter rolls illustrates the risks of relying on self-attestation for registration. Readers should verify their own registration status periodically to ensure that administrative errors do not affect their ability to cast a ballot.
Further reading
Learn more about federal election integrity and procedures in the United States Elections section.
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Should the federal government require proof of citizenship to register to vote?
