The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, external prohibits noncitizens — including illegal immigrants — from voting in federal elections.
The punishment includes a year in prison, a fine and possibly deportation.
Every state has is required to use shared registration, external a form that requires people to certify that they are US citizens under penalty of perjury, but requires no documentary evidence.
“That first step, where you have to check a box to say you’re a citizen to register to vote, is a big deterrent for illegal immigrants because it’s very risky to lie,” said Jaslin Singh, a voting expert at the liberal think tank policy Brennan Center for Justice.
In many states, voter rolls are cross-referenced with Citizenship and Immigration Services, death certificates, and postal records to ensure that noncitizens who have died or live outside the state are not registered to vote.
“At the polling stations there is a list of eligible voters, and if a non-citizen shows up, he will be refused or told to cast a preliminary ballot, which will only be accepted if he can provide proof of citizenship,” says Prof. Ronald Hajduk, a voting rights expert at San Francisco State University.
Non-citizens also do not have the right to vote in national elections.
However, some municipalities in California, Maryland, Vermont, and Washington allow them to vote in some local elections, such as school boards.
