Let me get this out of the way. I am not a proponent of election conspiracy theories, and I do not think Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election.
I believe Trump’s allegations of widespread voter fraud worked to undermine confidence in elections, especially among his followers.
However, Democrats and the legacy news media have taken the conversation too far the other way by painting those who want to increase the security of our elections in any way as kooky conspiracy theorists.
It should be a bipartisan aim to ensure our elections are only for U.S. citizens.
That’s not controversial, right?
Yet, by continually eschewing tougher voter ID requirements, Democrats and their allies are hurting their own cause.
Case in point: Over the weekend, a University of Michigan student from China – and a noncitizen – seemed to very easily register to vote and cast a ballot in an election the student has no business voting in.
Election officials say there is no way to invalidate the student’s ballot since it’s already been tabulated.
As a Michigan resident and U.S. citizen, I find that appalling.
In Michigan, every vote is going to matter this election
First, a little more about what happened.
The student is a 19-year-old from China who registered to vote using his university ID and other documents proving residency in Ann Arbor, where the university is located. The student also signed a document saying he was a U.S. citizen. His ballot was then entered into a tabulator.
The only reason the student got caught is that he allegedly later requested the ballot back. The student has now been charged with two crimes, since voting as a noncitizen is illegal in the United States.
While this may be an isolated incident, it also highlights that fraud can and does happen. If this student initially got away with the fraud, and will have his vote counted, then how many others have as well?
In Michigan, a pivotal swing state in the presidential election, every vote is going to matter. In 2016, Trump won the state by fewer than 11,000 votes. And it’s expected to be close this time, too.
According to the University of Michigan, during fall term 2023, there were 12,720 international students, scholars, faculty and staff at the university.
The number is large enough to raise concerns when it comes to who is registering to vote.
It's not asking too much of voters to prove their citizenship
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, is trying to quell the situation.
“Friends: we are in the middle of a battle over the future of our democracy," Benson posted on social media Thursday. "Voting ends in less than a week. Expect bad actors to take minor issues and use them to fuel baseless conspiracy theories in order to further their own agenda. Don’t buy into their attempts to create chaos, confusion and fear.”
Is this a minor issue though?
"Our laws are meant to make sure that every eligible citizen can vote," Benson spokeswoman Angela Benander told me via email. "There have been many efforts over the years looking into noncitizen participation in elections – all have come up with the same conclusion – that cases like this are very isolated and rare."
Benson, who has campaigned for Vice President Kamala Harris, similarly tried to convince a congressional committee in September that Michigan was ready for the election and blamed threats against election workers on “the spread of false information about the security and accuracy of our elections.”
She told me the same in an interview earlier this year.
Opinion:Michigan's elections chief talks democracy, the November election and, of course, Trump
Incidents like with the Michigan student from China undermine the premise that our elections are fully secure.
Michigan isn’t alone with voting concerns. Thousands of voter registration forms in Pennsylvania have been flagged for fraud, and Virginia had to seek the help of the U.S. Supreme Court to clear its voter rolls of suspected noncitizens.
An easy fix would be to require proof of citizenship to register to vote, and it’s weird that Democrats are so against the idea.
Republicans in Congress have tried several times this year to pass the SAVE Act, which would require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. But Democrats have blocked the measure.
Democrats complain that it’s already illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections. It happens, though, despite the illegality.
If Democrats like Benson want us to have faith in our elections, they should spend less time scolding people and more time safeguarding this fundamental right.
Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at USA TODAY.
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