YETMO

”Do Illegal Aliens Have a Right to Vote?"

This is one of those questions that, when asked, everyone knows the answer. No.

Or is that the right answer?

Several folks I know swear that illegals are allowed to vote. Where?, I asked. Out West, they say. Some states out West.

Given the tenor of the current national debate about immigration and citizen concerns about the integrity of the voting process and whether or not their votes are actually recorded, I felt that I could take nothing for granted. I resolved to get to the bottom of the issue.

It’s not surprising that such an assertion would be made. Part of this country believes illegal immigrants are a financial drain on social services, take money out of the country by sending it back to relatives at home, etc. Another portion believes that these people are contributing to the commonweal by holding down prices of goods and services due to their wages. Besides, virtually most people agree that immigrants are willing to do work Americans would rather not.

As interesting and attractive as a full discussion of the social benefits and ills of illegal immigration may be, I’m focusing merely on voting rights. Or, as it turns out, the lack of such rights.

Here’s the “right” answer: only U.S. citizens may vote in general elections. I spoke with Tim Storey, Senior Fellow at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), and Sean Green, Research Director, at Electionline.org. Both were clear and emphatic. One must be a citizen to vote in U.S. ‘general’ elections. I emphasize general, as in elections for governors, U.S. legislators, president, etc.

Interestingly, Sean Green noted that some jurisdictions allow any ‘residents’ to vote in local/city races. He cited Takoma Park, Maryland, and Cambridge, Massachusetts. I e-mailed the mayors of both cities to confirm or deny this claim, but neither has responded. Hmmm.

If a non-citizen votes, that’s a felony, and we know what that means. Prison time.

Of course, some may ask why would illegals want to vote? Wouldn’t they want to keep a low profile? Presumably they would, which may explain why, per Tim Storey, that states aren’t devoting resources to track these transgressions. If one or two people cast fraudulent ballots, that likely would be of no significance and could go undetected. However, if some group wished to influence an election by enticing hundreds or thousands of illegals to vote for a particular candidate, then that could have terrible repercussions. However, per Tim, such a large-scale mobilization would run a real risk of detection.

Only one state, North Dakota, does not require voter registration. It abolished registration in 1951 because it’s a rural state with small precincts, so election workers would likely be acquainted with the voters. This quaint approach harkens to times long past when all residents at least knew each other by sight, if not by name. [If you’d like to read the Secretary of State’s brochure about this, here it is.]

Lack of voter registration aside, even in North Dakota, voters must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years old. If not, then that “f” word, fraud, comes into play.

Well, there you have it – a very short primer on voting rights in the U.S. Don’t be fooled by urban legends. To do this electoral thing right, those who vote must be U.S. citizens. No state allows illegal aliens or non-citizens to participate in general elections.

Happy voting!