Fact check: Illegal immigrants indirectly influence elections in a major way

1. Summary of the results

The claim about illegal immigrants influencing elections requires significant nuance. While there is a substantial naturalized citizen voting bloc of about 24 million people (roughly 10% of the electorate) who can legally vote ^[1], actual illegal voting by non-citizens is extremely rare. Multiple studies have found:

• Only 0.0001% of votes were suspected to be from non-citizens ^{[2] [3]}
• The Heritage Foundation identified just 77 cases of non-citizen voting over 24 years ^[2]
• State-level investigations found minimal cases: only six green card holders in Ohio and a handful in Georgia and North Carolina ^[4]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual factors are often overlooked:

• Legal pathway timing: Becoming a citizen takes at least 5 years, and asylum seekers wait an average of 4.2 years for court hearings ^[5]
• Census representation: While non-citizens are counted in the census, studies show this doesn't significantly advantage either party in congressional seat distribution ^[6]
• Voting patterns complexity: Among legal immigrant voters, political preferences vary significantly across different ethnic groups ^[1]
• Deterrence factors: The voting registration process itself serves as a strong deterrent due to severe consequences, including potential deportation ^[2]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement appears to be part of a larger narrative that experts identify as potentially harmful:

• The statement overlooks the extremely low numbers of actual non-citizen voting cases, which are documented through multiple reliable sources and state audits ^{[2] [4]}
• Such narratives may be deliberately designed to exploit immigration fears and undermine faith in the electoral system ^[3]
• Even in localities where non-citizens have been granted limited voting rights, research shows their participation rates remain very low ^[7]

Those who benefit from promoting this narrative often include:

• Political actors seeking to implement stricter voting regulations
• Organizations and media outlets that gain attention and support by promoting immigration-related concerns
• Groups attempting to challenge election integrity without substantial evidence