In public appearances, former President Donald Trump has repeatedly made unsubstantiated claims about the threat of widespread “illegal” and non-citizen voting in the 2024 election.
Away from the spotlight, however, at least one Republican National Committee official is telling volunteer poll watchers a very different story: that the vote is nearly impossible.
During a private observer training session in Pennsylvania on Oct. 29, an RNC election integrity specialist told volunteers not to worry about noncitizen voting in the 2024 election because the election system has prevented illegal votes.
ProPublica obtained a recording of the workout. The RNS official’s comments were not previously reported.
The RNC official’s assurance contradicts statements by Trump and his Republican allies who have warned of “illegal aliens” on the ballot this year and potentially swinging the election in favor of Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
“It’s good to see an RNC official admitting the truth, as opposed to the many lies about non-citizen voting coming from Trump and his allies,” said Rick Hassen, a professor and election law expert at the UCLA School of Law. “It’s even better if the officials say it publicly.”
An RNC official who ran the training and an RNC spokeswoman did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Trump campaign spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt said in a statement to ProPublica that Democrats are “insisting that non-citizens vote and influence the future of our country,” adding, “President Trump and the RNC will continue to fight to ensure tomorrow’s election that every American vote is protected “.
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Non-citizen voting is illegal under federal law almost never happens. State and federal elections require voters to be US citizens. State election officials from both parties emphasized that there are safeguards in place across the country that prevent non-citizens from voting.
Still, that hasn’t stopped Trump and some of his most prominent supporters from making wild claims that noncitizens are registering and voting in large numbers this year. “DEMOCRATS ARE TRYING TO ‘PUSH’ VOTER REGISTRATION WITH ILLEGALS,” Trump posted on Truth Social in September. Other prominent Trump supporters, including billionaire tech investor Elon Musk and House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana, also unfounded claims are increasing about the fact that the Democrats are trying to “import” such voters.
But on the ground, Trump’s own party, at least in key battleground state Pennsylvania, is undermining those dark visions of illegal voting. During an Oct. 29 training session, Joe Nield, a member of the RNC’s state election integrity team, said that scenario is almost impossible.
A trainee asked Nield about the potential for non-citizens to vote in elections and what observers could do to stop them.
Nield responded that in Pennsylvania, undocumented people cannot legally register to vote and therefore will not be included on the lists of eligible voters at the polls, known as ballot rolls.
Here is the exchange:
Training participant: “I have two questions. First, how do you know if they are illegal aliens, like if they vote, as you explained with ID? And if they were from another country, it was fine as long as they had ID. How do you know they are illegal aliens? How can you stop it?”
Nield: “Well, if they’re illegal aliens, they’re not going to be on the ballot. Because if they’re illegal, they won’t be able to register to vote because they’ll need a driver’s license number or a social security number.
“And from recent litigation in years past, you really have — to be able to get a driver’s license here in Pennsylvania, you have to show proof of citizenship. So that’s one way that they won’t be able to get a driver’s license.
“And then you have to be — because they’re illegal, they won’t be able to get a Social Security number either.”
Three election law experts analyzed the conversation between Nield and an election observer intern. They all said Nield’s description of the law and the protections against noncitizen voting was accurate.
Adam Bonin, a Philadelphia-based election law attorney, said Nield provided a clear description of Pennsylvania laws and safeguards against non-citizen voting. Bonin said Nield’s comments were “absolutely consistent” with what Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth of Nations, Republican Al Schmidt, has said about preventing noncitizens from voting.
“As has been the case in the past, Trump’s team has local experts who know what the law is here in Pennsylvania and understand how our elections work,” Bonin said.
Justin Levitt, a Loyola law professor and voting rights expert who served in the Obama and Biden administrations, said he applauded Nilda for using factual information during the training. Levitt added that he wasn’t surprised to hear Republican volunteers express fear of noncitizen voting, given Trump’s campaign rhetoric.
“There was a very effective disinformation effort,” Levitt said. “But I’m glad that when the pressure comes and it’s time to actually train, they get it right.”
In addition to the registration hurdles that Nield pointed out, Levitt explained that there are clear incentives that prevent non-citizens from voting in US elections. Criminal penalties can include a large fine and jail time, as well as deportation and loss of the ability to become a US citizen in the future. Moreover, Levitt added, the act of voting itself creates a clear and obvious paper trail, making it much easier for law enforcement agencies to prosecute illegal voting.
“Every once in a blue moon you see non-citizens appearing on the rolls,” he said. “It’s usually wrong because it’s just not worth it and they’ll get caught, guaranteed.”
Levitt said he just wishes the factual information provided by the RNC at the grassroots level also reached the party’s presidential nominee. “It looks like the former president has to sit in on some of the sessions with the people who are training his election observers,” Levitt said.
Do you have information about the Trump campaign or voting irregularities that we should know about? Andy Kroll can be reached by email at (email protected) and by phone or Signal at 202-215-6203.
