It’s beneath the office of the speaker to cast doubt on our free and fair elections, say Issue One and NCEI member

In response to today’s joint news conference between Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and former President Trump, in which both men repeated numerous falsehoods and conspiracy theories related to election security and noncitizens voting, Issue One issued the following statement from Director of Election Protection Carah Ong Whaley and Rep. Charles Boustany (R-LA), a member of the bipartisan National Council on Election Integrity:

“As officials who are briefed and have access to the best intelligence on such matters, Speaker Johnson and former President Trump are both keenly aware that our elections are safe and secure,” said Ong Whaley. “Noncitizens are already ineligible to vote in federal elections. Introducing this legislation seeks to solve a problem that does not exist. Instead of taking meaningful action to strengthen our critical election infrastructure, Speaker Johnson is adding fuel to the fire by linking immigration policy to election security. Our elections are free and fair because they are administered by trained officials at the state and county level who use sophisticated and continuously validated processes to ensure every ballot is counted accurately.

“If Speaker Johnson and the former president truly wish to make our elections even stronger, they can start by encouraging their colleagues on both sides of the aisle to increase federal funding to ensure that officials have the resources they need to guard against growing foreign interference concerns and cybersecurity threats.”

Noncitizens are already ineligible to vote in federal elections. Under a 1996 law passed by Congress, noncitizens who vote face a fine, up to a year in prison, and deportation. A majority of states (36) also require voters to show a form of identification when they vote, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. And a database maintained by the conservative Heritage Foundation indicates that only 85 cases exist involving allegations of noncitizens voting from 2002 to 2023.

Rep. Boustany added: “It is beneath the office of the speaker to cast doubt on our free and fair election system. The legislation proposed today intends to sow distrust in our democratic processes by insinuating there is a link between immigration and election security, when in truth noncitizens are already barred from voting in federal elections. This is a solution in search of a problem that diminishes the patriotic work of election officials across the country who have dedicated their careers to administering secure and transparent elections. American elections remain chronically underfunded, and instead of fueling disinformation, Speaker Johnson and members of Congress should work together to bolster our critical election infrastructure and support the brave individuals who make sure that every eligible vote is counted fairly and accurately.”