In the 2018 election, Trump supporters claimed that illegal immigrants voted in California. They claimed that’s why California is more Democratic than Republican. It’s true that California is a Democratic state, but it’s a lie to say illegal immigrants voted. Illegal immigrants did not vote in California in the 2018 election.
Undocumented Residents Not Registered to Vote at DMV
Republican partisans conflated several things to imply undocumented residents were voting when they were not even on the voter registration rolls. When you get a CA Driver’s license, your info is transferred to the Secretary of State for “potential” voter registration. If you’re an undocumented resident, you don’t have a social security card. End process. The undocumented residents are not added to the voter registration rolls. There is no problem here. So, while it’s true that undocumented residents living in California can obtain driver’s licenses, the state has not passed any laws that also provide them the right to vote. You may not like undocumented residents and want them gone, but Californians decided that if they’re going to be on the roads driving, get them licensed.
Illegal Immigrants are Voting is a Lie
The premise of this lie is that one or more undocumented residents in California registered to vote and specifically that there are too many illegals registered to vote. Based on all evidence discovered to date, not even one is registered. It’s a lie to say illegals are registered. I say it’s a lie because it is not in any official document, nor has a reporter reported it, nor has a journalist written about it. Including reporters and journalists on the right on Fox News, etc.
The only people saying stuff like that are hosts, entertainers, and partisans. They either don’t want to know the truth (doing a bad job), or they are trying to trick you. My opinion is that these are smart people just trying to trick you. They conflate several things together and imply undocumented residents are voting when they’re not even on the voter registration rolls and they know it. They are manipulating you on purpose.
Why in California can you vote without a CA ID?
In 2018, you can vote without an ID only if you have voted before and your CA license is on file. When you vote, they cross off your name so you can’t vote twice. California also has same day registration, but that requires a CA ID, birth certificate, social security card, and a DMV signature on file. You have to prove you are a U.S. citizen, a resident of CA, and 18 years old. Only 17 states right now require a photo ID.
Can Illegals Find a Way to Vote?
The short answer is no. To illustrate, here’s a script of what happens when an illegal tries to vote with a valid driver’s license…
Illegal: “I wish to vote.”
Volunteer: “You are not registered to vote.”
Illegal: “Here’s my ID.”
Volunteer: “We do have same day registration in CA, but you have to go registertovote.ca.gov. You just need your CA driver’s license, or a CA ID as well as your social security card.”
Illegal: “I don’t have a social security card?”
Volunteer: “Then you can’t register to vote.”
Illegal: “How do I get a social security card?”
Volunteer: “To obtain a new Social Security Card you will need to provide at least two documents to prove age, identity, and U.S. citizenship or current immigration status. Your driver’s license can be your ID, but you also need to prove citizenship and age so you’ll also need either a U.S. Birth Certificate or a U.S. Passport.”
Illegal: “I do not have a U.S. Birth Certificate, nor a U.S. Passport.”
Volunteer: “Then you cannot get a social security card, which means you cannot register to vote.”
Illegal: “Can I cast a provisional ballot? And, will it count?”
Volunteer: “You may cast a provisional ballot, but it will not count unless you’re registered to vote.”
As a society, our focus can be on convincing others that giving undocumented residents a driver’s license is a bad idea. And, agreed, voter registration rolls do need to be cleaned up. But, no undocumented residents are on the voter registration rolls. It just does not exist. So, those do not need to be cleaned up for that reason. As you can see by this article, the illegal-immigrants-are-voting is another fake news story pushed by Republicans. It’s another fake news story used to appeal to your emotion, hate, and bigotry. This is another reason I’m a Democrat. Remember, voter suppression is the big problem. Voter fraud is not a problem, but rather a fake wedge issue used to incite emotion. Those truly interested in clean elections should focus on real problems, not fake ones.
