Brussels: The US homeland security secretary on Friday vowed an aggressive crackdown on illegal voting and warned that state election officials could face fines or prison if they disregard federal efforts to identify ineligible voters. Following claims of foreign influence made by President Donald Trump, including in a primetime Thursday address to the nation, Markwayne Mullin said the Department of Homeland Security had identified 250,000 suspected noncitizens registered to vote in California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Nevada.
According to Anadolu Agency, Mullin highlighted the cooperation with 23 states through the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, program, which had identified 28,000 suspected noncitizens and approximately 400,000 deceased people on voter rolls. However, he did not specify how many of those individuals had cast ballots. The department is establishing a unit to review the records individually, determine whether any had voted, and refer potential violations for prosecution.
Mullin emphasized that those found guilty of illegal registration and voting could face penalties of up to five years in prison and fines of up to $250,000. He also indicated that his agency would scrutinize voting records before and after the midterm elections, including records from states that decline to cooperate. Election officials could face penalties if they failed to act upon receiving information about alleged vulnerabilities or ineligible registrations.
Critics argue that these threats to election officials amount to fearmongering, especially as local election workers already face threats to their safety amid unfounded claims of poll fraud. Mullin stated that states seeking federal reimbursement and election grants would need to implement security measures, review their voter rolls, and address vulnerabilities identified by the federal government.
Mullin further noted that the US' Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency would release an updated election infrastructure plan within 30 days. Despite Trump's repeated insistence that the 2020 presidential election had been 'stolen' from him, Mullin clarified that the initiative was not intended to change previous election results but to increase public confidence ahead of the midterms.
Critics of the Trump administration point out that instances of in-person voter fraud pursued by Homeland Security under Trump's direction are exceedingly rare. They allege Trump's voter fraud claims are unfounded and meant to sow confusion and distrust ahead of the fall's midterm elections, where most polls suggest Trump's Republican Party could face significant losses.