House Republicans Roll Out New Election Security Legislation
A new package of election security legislation was introduced this week by the Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger, R-Texas. The bills aim to prevent noncitizen residents of Washington, D.C. from voting in local elections, block noncitizens from helping administer elections, and prevent noncitizens from voting.
Currently, it is illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections, but there is no law preventing them from voting in state and local elections. Some areas, however, do allow noncitizens to vote in local-level elections, including Washington, D.C.
“Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our democracy, which is why protecting them from noncitizen influence is essential to our nation’s sovereignty and will ensure America has a flourishing democracy for decades to come,” said Pfluger. “These bills are three commonsense steps we can take to ensure noncitizens are not influencing our elections by voting in them or administering them.”
The bills were co-sponsored by four lawmakers and received support from various other Republican members. Democrats have criticized GOP efforts to crack down on noncitizen voting, accusing them of trying to spread doubt about the country’s election processes by targeting something that’s already illegal in most cases.
However, Pfluger and his allies are introducing the bills well ahead of the 2026 midterm races, avoiding criticism that Republicans are trying to manipulate the electoral process. House Republicans are setting their sights on 2026 and are planning to pass a massive conservative policy overhaul via the budget reconciliation process.
