Louisiana Investigates Noncitizen Voting After Surprising Discovery

Some voting irregularities have been uncovered by the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office. The agency has been working on an investigation into claims that noncitizens have registered to vote in the state.

Secretary of State Nancy Landry has announced the first round of results from this ongoing investigation.

What Did the Secretary of State Find?

According to Secretary Landry, investigators identified 390 noncitizens on Louisiana’s voter rolls. Of those people, 79 of them have voted in at least one election.
Landry says “these preliminary results are the first to come from Louisiana’s use of the newly revamped SAVE database from the Department of Homeland Security. Louisiana gained access to the cost-free system in May, and we are the first state in the nation to use it.”

Landry Says This Is Not a Widespread Problem

Despite the findings, Landry stressed that the issue does not represent a broad problem across the state.

I want to be clear: noncitizens illegally registering or voting is not a systemic problem in Louisiana,” she said. “Our voter list maintenance procedures are a key reason why Louisiana is ranked number three in the nation for election integrity.

What Are Louisiana Leaders Doing About the Election Troubles?

Landry says steps are being taken now to make sure this practice stops.
All of those illegally registered individuals have been removed or are in the process of being removed from our voter rolls. It is a crime to register to vote and to vote as a noncitizen, and it undermines the fundamental rights of American citizens. My office will work with the appropriate authorities for prosecution, and I will be encouraging charges in every case the law allows.