Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., is introducing a bill to address a loophole in federal law by making it a felony for illegal immigrants to vote in U.S. elections. The proposed legislation seeks to align penalties for illegal voting by noncitizens with those for U.S. citizens who unlawfully vote.
Currently, federal law does not explicitly prohibit voting as an illegal immigrant. Gaetz's bill, named the JAIL for Alien Voters Act, would designate voting as a noncitizen in U.S. elections as a prohibited act, elevating the offense from a misdemeanor to a felony. The proposed penalty includes up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Gaetz emphasized the need for parity in punishment for voter fraud, regardless of immigration status. He stated that it is crucial for only U.S. citizens to participate in U.S. elections.
The bill has garnered support from several cosponsors, including Reps. Andy Ogles, Andy Biggs, Mike Collins, Claudia Tenney, and Barry Moore.
Earlier this month, Gaetz introduced the National Motor Voter Clarification Act in response to the Biden-Harris administration's actions regarding voter rolls. This legislation aims to empower states to remove illegal immigrants from their voter rolls at any time.
Gaetz's initiatives are part of efforts to safeguard U.S. elections from potential illegal voting by the millions of immigrants who entered through the U.S.-Mexico border during the current administration.
In a recent development, a federal appeals court upheld a lower court's decision to reinstate 1,600 Virginia voters with questionable citizenship status to the rolls. This ruling followed a preliminary injunction issued by U.S. Judge Patricia Giles, who found that the removal of voters from state rolls had been systematic and violated federal law.
The Justice Department had filed a lawsuit against Virginia, alleging violations of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. If the case proceeds to the Supreme Court, it could impact voter registration practices leading up to Election Day.
