LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) – A Michigan report from the 2024 presidential election is shedding light on just how rare noncitizen voting is. Investigations from the Department of State (MDOS) found just 15 cases out of the 5.7 million ballots cast.
The department compiled the report by comparing DMV records to the state’s Qualified Voter File (QVF) to show how many cases of noncitizen voting occur each year.
Kim Murphy-Kovalick, the programs and policy senior director with Voters Not Politicians, said this report clearly shows that there are multiple systems in place to ensure only citizens can vote and to catch those who violate the law when those rare instances do occur.
Under Michigan’s voting laws, the department is required to conduct a thorough review of the ballots cast to catch any cases of voter fraud. Over five months, 15 people who appear to be non-U.S. citizens but still cast a ballot were identified, and 13 were referred to Michigan’s Attorney General. Murphy-Kovalick said that is not evidence of widespread voter fraud.
“The fact that the secretary of state’s office identified the issue is evidence that our systems are working. Our elections already have plenty of checks and balances,” Murphy-Kovalick said. “Michiganders know that adding more barriers to the system will only result in eligible voters being unfairly prevented from voting.”
A release from the MDOS explained this initial review compared more than 7.9 million active driving records for Michiganders of voting age to over 7.2 million active registered voters in the QVF. MDOS has established an ongoing review process to identify possible cases of noncitizens improperly registered to vote so those records can be cancelled in accordance with the National Voter Registration Act.
The report states that noncitizen voting accounts for just 0.00028% of ballots cast. Despite how infrequent cases seem to be, federal and state lawmakers are pushing to increase voter regulations. Earlier this week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the SAVE act, which could make it so a passport and birth certificate are the only valid forms of identification when registering to vote.
Michigan’s Secretary of State said she would support precise changes to prevent those specific voter fraud situations from occurring in the future, but said a scalpel is needed, not a sludge hammer, to make sure elections stay as free and fair as possible. Of the two cases not sent to the Attorney General, one has passed away, the other is still under investigation by the Secretary of State. Secretary Benson said she is actively working with lawmakers to introduce her only plan to increase voter security in Michigan.
