Georgia's Republican state secretary discovers only 20 non-citizens enlisted as voters amongst a total of 8.2 million registered individuals.
Twenty individuals were eliminated from the state's voter roll, totalling 8.2 million, and the authorities have handed over their cases to local law enforcement. Just nine out of these twenty individuals actually cast a vote.
The study highlights the rarity of non-citizens registering to vote. It's unlawful in federal elections, and those who attempt to vote risk facing imprisonment or deportation.
At a press conference, Georgia's Secretary of State, Raffensperger, commended his state's efforts in preventing non-citizen voting, emphasizing the importance of staying vigilant.
Due to the ongoing investigation, the Secretary of State's office declined to disclose when the nine individuals in question cast their votes.
Donald Trump and his conservative supporters have taken up this issue in this election, alleging it's a widespread issue and that Democrats are relying on non-citizens to sway the election outcome in November.
However, Gabriel Sterling, the chief operating officer in the Secretary of State's office, stated on Wednesday, there's no concrete evidence to support this extensive number of non-citizens on the voter rolls. "If you're a non-citizen and you're on a path to citizenship, attempting to register to vote results in a risky endeavour with minimal gains," he said.
Raffensperger's office has initiated case files for another 156 individuals whose citizenship status necessitates further scrutiny.
Addressing reporters, Sterling also debunked the misinformation circulating in the high-stakes battleground state, including false claims, widely spread by Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, that voting machines manipulated voters' choices.
"There hasn't been a single instance of a machine altering an individual's vote," he clarified. "The primary issue we've encountered is older individuals with tremors who potentially pressed the wrong button, resulting in their ballot not being reviewed thoroughly before printing."
Sterling further added, "Not a shred of evidence – and I'm addressing certain federal representatives in the state – supports the claim of machines manipulating votes. This falsehood has persisted since 2020 and continues to thrive now."
The controversy surrounding non-citizen voting in elections has significantly influenced politics, with figures like Donald Trump bringing it to the forefront. However, Gabriel Sterling, the chief operating officer in Georgia's Secretary of State's office, has repeatedly stated that there's no substantial evidence to support claims of a large number of non-citizens on the voter rolls.
