Noncitizens and Voting Rights in Pennsylvania Elections

U.S. law prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections, and Pennsylvania enforces similar restrictions for state offices. A 1996 federal law imposes severe penalties, including fines and deportation, for noncitizens who attempt to vote. In Pennsylvania, individuals must affirm their citizenship when registering, and the state constitution mandates that voters must be U.S. citizens for at least one month. Despite concerns raised by some political figures, evidence suggests that noncitizens voting illegally is extremely rare. Research indicates that instances of noncitizen voting are negligible, with studies showing only a handful of cases across millions of ballots cast. For example, a 2017 Brennan Center study found about 30 potential cases of noncitizen voting out of 23.5 million votes in the 2016 election. Furthermore, a Georgia audit revealed fewer than 2,000 attempts to register by noncitizens over 25 years, none of which were successful. Pennsylvania officials previously acknowledged a glitch that allowed some noncitizens to register when obtaining a driver's license, leading to claims of 544 illegal votes over 18 years. However, these claims have been consistently debunked, reinforcing the conclusion that noncitizen voting is not a widespread issue. While some municipalities in other states allow noncitizen voting in local elections, Pennsylvania maintains strict regulations to prevent such occurrences.