7 States Uncovered Noncitizen Voter Registrations as SAVE Act Debate Heightens

Just this year, at least seven states identified noncitizens on their voter registration lists. This comes as Congress continues to debate the SAVE America Act, a bill which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.

Several states obtained the names of noncitizens by cross-referencing the voter registration list with the federal database known as the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE. SAVE is maintained by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

1. New Jersey

This week, the Republican National Committee and the New Jersey Republican Party announced that hundreds of noncitizens were discovered on voter rolls after they requested voter lists across 21 New Jersey counties.

Though few noncitizens had voted, the GOP found a noncitizen removed from voter rolls in 2015 who voted in elections in 2000, 2001, and 2005. Another noncitizen voted in a primary election in 2005 and in a municipal election in 2000, Fox News reported.

Most did not vote, and there was evidence that several noncitizens sought to be removed from voter lists, saying they were unknowingly registered to vote.

Last month, the Justice Department announced four separate criminal complaints against noncitizens for allegedly illegally voting in federal elections in New Jersey. The four allegedly falsely certified that they were U.S. citizens on their voter registration forms. The agency’s criminal complaint alleged that the defendants cast at least one vote in federal elections from 2020 to 2024 before applying to become U.S. citizens.

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2. North Carolina

Last week, a Canadian citizen was sentenced to two months in prison for making false claims about U.S. citizenship to vote in the 2022 and 2024 elections in North Carolina.

The case, brought in the Eastern District of North Carolina, involved the 70-year-old Denis Bouchard, who has lived in the United States since the 1960s but never became a citizen.

Bouchard initially made the false claim of citizenship on a voter registration form in 2004 and has voted in nine federal elections, according to the Justice Department. However, he was only charged for voting in 2022 and 2024.

3. Michigan

Macomb County, Michigan, County Clerk Anthony Forlini, a Republican, in January identified 15 apparent noncitizens on voter rolls.

The Department of Homeland Security is reportedly conducting an active investigation into the suburban Detroit county and issued a subpoena requesting “all available information” on noncitizen voters, including “types of voting conducted” and “any signed documents.”

The records were sent to the office of the state’s secretary of state, Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, who criticized Forlini.

Her office noted the state elections bureau determined that three of the 15 had voting histories. But of those three, one was an American citizen.

The Michigan Bureau of Elections concluded that of the 15 individuals, four were apparent noncitizens who will receive letters asking them to confirm their eligibility to vote. If they do not respond, the bureau will cancel their registration. Another four were previously removed from the voter rolls. Still, four remained under review by the elections bureau, according to Benson’s office. The bureau found that three of the 15 were citizens.

4. Nevada

In January, the FBI concluded that 38 noncitizens may have voted in Nevada during the 2020 election but then closed the inquiry, CBS News reported.

An FBI review of the Nevada voter rolls was compared with Department of Homeland Security citizenship data and found 38 likely noncitizens.

In July 2025, First Assistant U.S. Attorney in Nevada Sigal Chattah ordered a probe of the state’s 2020 presidential election. The FBI reportedly informed Chattah that it would be difficult to bring a case because of the statute of limitations.

5. Utah

In Utah, 27 noncitizens were on the voter rolls, and about half—13—had cast ballots, according to an audit released in late May by Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson’s office.

The review began in April 2025.

In addition to the 27 confirmed noncitizens, the report identified another 25 likely noncitizens. The state gave the 25 individuals a month to provide proof of citizenship or be removed from the voter rolls.

6. Montana

In March, the Montana secretary of state’s office announced that, using federal data, it had identified 23 voter records associated with noncitizens.

Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen said that of those noncitizens, a total of about 150 ballots were cast, while several participated in signature gathering for ballot initiatives.

In announcing the findings, Jacobsen’s office noted that Montana local elections are often closely decided, including a city council race that resulted in a tie vote.

7. Kansas

Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach’s office has prosecuted three noncitizens who cast ballots, including one incumbent mayor who was also not legally allowed to run for office.

Last month, Jose Ceballos-Armendariz, the former mayor of Coldwater, Kansas, turned himself in to Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the Wichita area, Fox 4 Kansas City reported. Ceballos-Armendariz is a Mexican national with a green card and resides legally in the United States. He was prosecuted by Kobach’s office and pleaded guilty last month to illegally voting in several elections.