ATLANTA — On Wednesday, Georgia’s leading election official revealed the results of a recent review of the state’s voter rolls, which indicated that out of 8.2 million registered voters, 20 individuals are non-U.S. citizens.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger provided this information during a press conference, stating that the registrations of these individuals have been annulled, and their cases will be forwarded to local prosecutors for possible criminal prosecution. According to his office, none of these individuals participated in the general election last November, although an investigation is currently underway to determine if they had voted in any previous elections.
Furthermore, Raffensperger mentioned that there are 156 individuals whose citizenship status is ambiguous, and the secretary of state’s office has initiated investigations for those cases.
The topic of noncitizen registration and voting has been a significant issue, often highlighted by Republicans during this election cycle, yet research indicates that instances of noncitizens voting are infrequent.
Back in July, the Georgia secretary of state’s office announced its commitment to reviewing voter registrations for noncitizens using both state and federal databases. Raffensperger pointed out that the 20 individuals identified as noncitizens had previously filled out sworn statements attesting to their non-citizenship status in order to be excused from jury duty.