Here and Now
How Often Do non-US Citizens Vote in Wisconsin Elections?
Clip: Season 2200 Episode 2239 | 2m 54sVideo has Closed Captions
Wisconsin's elections agency notes its policies in response to concerns raised over fraud.
Nearly 300,000 residents of Wisconsin who are not U.S. citizens have been issued driver licenses or ID cards — the state elections agency notes its policies in response to concerns raised over fraud.
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Here and Now is a local public television program presented by PBS Wisconsin
Here and Now
How Often Do non-US Citizens Vote in Wisconsin Elections?
Clip: Season 2200 Episode 2239 | 2m 54sVideo has Closed Captions
Nearly 300,000 residents of Wisconsin who are not U.S. citizens have been issued driver licenses or ID cards — the state elections agency notes its policies in response to concerns raised over fraud.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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DAVID HELPAP, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> AND THIS ELECTION YEAR FACT CHECK TONIGHT, A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT IN WISCONSIN SPECIFIES THAT ONLY A UNITED STATES CITIZEN AGE 18 OR OLDER MAY VOTE IN AN ELECTION FOR NATIONAL, STATE, OR LOCAL OFFICE OR REFERENDUM.
THE AMENDMENT CHANGES CURRENT CONSTITUTIONAL LANGUAGE FROM EVERY U.S. CITIZEN TO ONLY A U.S. CITIZEN.
REPUBLICAN AUTHORS OF THE LANGUAGE SAY IT'S NEEDED BECAUSE SOME STATES HAVE ALLOWED NON-U.S. CITIZENS TO VOTE IN LOCAL ELECTIONS.
WITH MIGRATION BEING A PRIME CAMPAIGN ISSUE, DONALD TRUMP IS PUSHING FEARS OF NONCITIZENS VOTING.
BUT AS STEVEN POTTER FINDS, THIS KIND OF VOTER FRAUD IS VANISHINGLY RARE.
>> OUR STATE ISSUES VALID DRIVER'S LICENSES TO PEOPLE WHO ARE NONCITIZENS AND ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO VOTE.
HOW DO YOU CATCH THAT?
>> CONVINCED OF FRAUD IN THE LAST ELECTION, PEOPLE IN A RECENT ELECTION EDUCATION EVENT IN WEST BEND RAISED A WORRY OVER IMMIGRANTS VOTING ILLEGALLY IN 2024.
THE STATE OF WISCONSIN HAS ISSUED DRIVER'S LICENSES TO OVER A QUARTER MILLION NONLEGAL, ILLEGAL, WHATEVER THE RIGHT TERMINOLOGY IS, IMMIGRANTS IN THE STATE.
>> BUT THAT NUMBER REFERS TO NON-U.S. CITIZENS WHO ARE LEGALLY PRESENT HERE AS PERMANENT RESIDENTS OR TEMPORARY VISITORS.
MOTOR VEHICLES HAS ISSUED MORE THAN 258,000 DRIVER'S LICENSES AND 41,000 PHOTO I.D.
CARDS TO NON-U.S. CITIZENS SINCE 2019.
THOSE WISCONSIN DRIVER'S LICENSES, OR PHOTO I.D.s, ARE STAMPED WITH LIMITED TERM OR NON-DOMICILED UNLESS THE PERSON IS A PERMANENT RESIDENT WHOSE CARDS HAVE NO SUCH STAMP.
A PHOTO I.D.
IS REID RED REQUIRE IN WISCONSIN BUT NONCITIZENS CANNOT USE THEIR I.D.s OR LICENSES TO REGISTER AND VOTE.
DESPITE CONCERNS THAT THEY ARE IN LARGE NUMBERS, THE WISCONSIN ELECTIONS COMMISSION SAYS THAT SINCE 2019, THERE HAVE BEEN THREE NONCITIZENS WHO HAVE BEEN REFERRED FOR PROSECUTION FOR VOTING ILLEGALLY.
MOSTLY MISUNDERSTANDING THEIR ELIGIBILITY.
HAPPENS BEFORE ANYONE CASTS A BALLOT.
PERSON MUST CERTIFY UNDER PENALTY OF LAW THAT THEY'RE A U.S. CITIZEN.
NONCITIZENS RISK BEING ARRESTED, JAILED, AND DEPORTED IF THEY DO VOTE ILLEGALLY.
AS TO THE QUESTION HOW DO YOU CATCH THAT, WISCONSIN ELECTIONS COMMISSION TOLD US THERE IS NO MECHANISM AVAILABLE TO CONDUCT REAL TIME CHECKS ON A VOTER'S CITIZENSHIP STATUS.
NO STATE OR FEDERAL LAW REQUIRES THE WEC OR CLERKS TO VERIFY A VOTER'S CITIZENSHIP STATUS, BUT THEY ALSO SAID THERE'S NOT EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE IDEA THAT NONCITIZENS ARE VOTING IN WISCONSIN IN SIGNIFICANT WISCONSIN IN SIGNIFICANT
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