Additional Coverage:
American Citizen Wrongfully Purged from Voter Rolls
Eliud Bonilla, an American citizen, was mistakenly listed as a noncitizen voter in 2016. Despite correcting the record, his personal information was later published online, exposing him to potential threats.
Aggressive Voter Purges Raise Concerns
Aggressive efforts to purge voter rolls are targeting potential noncitizens, including many who are newly naturalized or victims of paperwork errors. Experts warn that these purges often remove eligible voters from the list.
Federal Lawsuits Challenge Purges
The Justice Department has sued several states, including Alabama and Virginia, for alleged unlawful purges. In Tennessee, election officials backed down from a similar effort after facing a potential lawsuit.
Noncitizen Voting Remains Rare
Despite concerns, noncitizen voting is extremely rare. Studies and audits have found only a handful of cases out of millions of ballots cast.
Conservative Group’s Role
The Public Interest Legal Foundation, a conservative election watchdog group, has been pushing states to release voter roll data. While the group claims to be acting in good faith, critics accuse it of exaggerating the issue to undermine the legitimacy of future elections.
Efforts Continue
Despite the lawsuits and evidence of wrongful purges, Republican groups continue to pressure states to remove suspected noncitizens from voter rolls.
Call for Evidence-Based Approach
Bonilla emphasizes the importance of election integrity but warns against exaggerated claims of noncitizen voting. He believes that evidence should guide decision-making, not biases.