Wed Sep 18 21:07:00 UTC 2024: ## Wisconsin Republicans Push to Ban Non-Citizen Voting, Despite Lack of Evidence

**KENOSHA, WI** – Wisconsin Republicans are pushing for measures at both the state and federal levels to explicitly ban non-citizens from voting, despite existing laws already prohibiting this practice and a lack of evidence suggesting widespread non-citizen voter fraud.

The push, spearheaded by U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, involves promoting federal legislation known as the SAVE Act, which would require all states to verify voter citizenship through documentation. The bill has already passed the U.S. House but faces an uphill battle in the Democrat-controlled Senate.

Locally, Wisconsin voters will decide on a proposed constitutional amendment that would explicitly bar non-citizens from voting in all elections, including local races. Supporters argue that this measure would provide further clarity and prevent potential future legal challenges.

However, critics highlight the lack of evidence to support the claims of widespread non-citizen voting. In a press conference, Republicans cited a single case of a Ukrainian citizen casting a ballot in a Mequon school board race, while acknowledging that voter fraud is rare and difficult to detect.

Despite the lack of evidence, Republicans are pushing for stricter voter ID requirements and increased information sharing between the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and the Wisconsin Elections Commission to identify potential non-citizen voters.

Sheriff Dale Schmidt of Dodge County, who has referred a few election fraud charges, emphasized the minimal incidence of fraud in his county and attributed it to robust voter ID procedures.

While conceding that extremely close elections can be influenced by even a single vote, Republicans argue that non-citizen votes could disproportionately impact local races, citing a city council race in Fond du Lac decided by just four votes.

This latest push comes as part of a broader effort by Republican lawmakers to tighten election laws and cast doubt on the integrity of elections following former President Donald Trump’s claims of election fraud in 2020.

Read More