Secretary of State Cole Jester announced Thursday that about 240 alleged noncitizens were identified on Arkansas voter rolls. Of those, 30 to 40 are believed to have voted, though Jester said state and federal prosecutors will investigate to confirm the numbers.
The potential noncitizens were flagged after the state shared voter registration data with the Department of Homeland Security in September. Using the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program, the individuals were identified based on personal information such as the last four digits of their Social Security numbers. Each will receive a letter giving them 30 days to prove citizenship before county clerks are asked to remove them from the rolls.
Jester said some of the individuals may have registered by accident, often when applying for a drivers license. He added that the situation is unlikely to have changed election outcomes.
Immigrant advocates expressed concern that eligible voters could be mistakenly removed. Mireya Reith of Arkansas United said registration errors often result from paperwork mistakes and not intentional wrongdoing.
Jester said safeguards are in place to prevent accidental removals and that confirmed cases of noncitizen voting have been referred to law enforcement.
For more on this story visit original reporting by the Arkansas Advocate.
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