Illinois lawmaker pushes bill to criminalize registering noncitizens to
vote
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[September 20, 2024]
By Catrina Petersen | The Center Square contributor
(The Center Square) – After the Oregon DMV wrongfully registered
noncitizens through their program that automatically registered anyone
who obtained a driver's license or state ID, an Illinois state lawmaker
introduces legislation that would criminalize knowingly registering
noncitizens to vote on their behalf in Illinois.
Recently filed HB 5875 will penalize individuals who knowingly register
noncitizens to vote in federal and municipal elections.
State Rep. Dan Caulkins said he’s concerned with non-government
organizations, assisting non citizens residing in migrant shelters and
are knowingly registering noncitizens to vote despite federal law
prohibiting noncitizens from registering and voting in federal
elections.
"Knowingly registering someone else to vote shall be guilty of a class
four felony,” said Caulkins, the sponsor of the bill.
The Center Square sought comment from Illinois Coalition for Immigrant
and Refugee Rights and The Immigration Project regarding Caulkins’
concerns, but did not immediately receive a response.
Caulkins explained in Oregon 306 noncitizens were registered to vote.
The Oregon DMV admitted to wrongfully registering at least 306
noncitizens to vote in U.S. elections.
"Obviously somebody falsified for them [the non citizens] when they
registered to vote and that’s why either the person who registered or
someone else who registered for them [needs to be penalized],” said
Caulkins.
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Illinois state Rep. Dan Caulkins, R-Decatur, discusses his proposal
to freeze the state's annual gas tax increase. - BlueRoomStream
The Association of Mature American Citizens is a United States-based
conservative advocacy organization that is supporting National Only
Citizens Vote Week, happening from September 16-20. The week, they
say, is to help raise awareness about election integrity.
Caulkins explained there’s currently no penalty for those who
knowingly register noncitizens through, for example, a voter
registration drive.
"[For example] someone asks a noncitizen at a shelter to sign up and
sign a petition and they speak Spanish and you as the noncitizen
didn’t know you were registering to vote. Maybe you can’t punish
that noncitizen, but you need to go back to the person that signed
them up and punish them for knowingly registering a non-citizen to
vote,” said Caulkins.
Caulkins said he will be amending the bill to strike out language
that says, “knowingly votes in an election,” which is already
covered in the federal law.
"If people are being registered to vote and are not citizens and
they end up voting or someone nefariously gets their ballot and
votes for the non-citizen, it cancels out [Americans'] votes,” said
Caulkins.
The conservative group called Only Citizens Vote Coalition, of which
the Association of Mature American Citizens is a member, launched
the National Only Citizens Vote Week. It has released toolkits for
state leaders and congressional leaders, which encourage changes to
election law to prevent noncitizens from accessing the ballot box. |