Disputed DHS tally of 250,000 noncitizens on rolls fuels midterm clashes

Federal officials have told election administrators in California, Nevada, New Jersey and Pennsylvania that preliminary data matching shows roughly 250,000 noncitizens registered to vote across those states. The Department of Homeland Security sent letters citing name, date of birth, address and Social Security number matches against its records, though the letters described the figures as potential and invited states to verify identities. Three of the states responded by questioning the methodology, noting they had not shared full voter files containing sensitive identifiers, and warning that any systematic removals would violate the 90-day quiet period before the November midterms under the National Voter Registration Act.

New Jersey separately reported that a motor-vehicle software error had placed 6,600 noncitizens on its rolls; the state has removed about 4,500 names after review and found fewer than 400 of those individuals had cast ballots. Other states have conducted their own audits since 2020. Louisiana identified 403 noncitizens and 83 who voted. Iowa found 277 noncitizens and 35 who voted. Michigan reported 15 apparent noncitizen ballots. Ohio, Illinois, Florida and North Carolina have documented smaller numbers over longer periods. The Department of Justice has sued more than 30 states and the District of Columbia to obtain detailed voter rolls, while DHS has pursued data-sharing agreements and, in South Carolina, obtained an IP address tied to an online registration.

State officials in the four targeted states have asked for the underlying records and methodology. Some election administrators, speaking privately, expressed concern that unverified lists could be used to seek court orders for ballot access after Election Day. Federal statements have emphasized that noncitizen voting is illegal and that states must maintain accurate rolls, without specifying how many individuals have been charged in recent cycles. The scale of confirmed cases remains limited to the audits states have chosen to release, and no uniform national reporting requirement exists.