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Republicans' false claims of illegal voting for Democrats are hurting some citizens

AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:

It has long been illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections. And most evidence shows that it happens very rarely and usually by mistake. That hasn't stopped many Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, from claiming that Democrats are bringing migrants in to vote illegally this November. As NPR's Jude Joffe-Block reports, that false rhetoric is having a real impact on voters.

JUDE JOFFE-BLOCK, BYLINE: The latest false claim started last week with Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo.

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MARIA BARTIROMO: A friend had sent me a text this weekend telling me that they went to the DMV for a new license, and there were lines and lines of illegals all over the DMV office, the Department of Motor vehicles. There was one in Weatherford, Texas, massive line of immigrants getting licensed. They had a tent outside and a table to register them to vote.

JOFFE-BLOCK: She mentioned on social media her source observed this at two sites in Fort Worth as well. But the story quickly fell apart. A local Republican county chair said he could find no evidence of that voter drive in Weatherford or registrations by ineligible applicants. A spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety, the agency that administers driver's licenses, told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram the story wasn't true. Except, he said, there had been a voter registration table outside of a DPS office in one Fort Worth location, but not in the other sites Maria Bartiromo named. NPR reached out to Fox News, which pointed to a later broadcast by Maria Bartiromo, where she acknowledged some of those points, but added another twist.

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BARTIROMO: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation into potential criminal activity.

JOFFE-BLOCK: Even though Maria Bartiromo's account didn't hold up, it appears to have inspired Paxton to investigate whether voter registration groups are registering noncitizens. Texas, like other states, already has guard rails in place to prevent noncitizen voting, and critics say the investigation is a politically motivated stunt that could intimidate voters. Ashley Harris is an attorney with the ACLU of Texas.

ASHLEY HARRIS: The idea that the attorney general is leveraging his office to target a routine voter registration drive by a community organization is very scary and very chilling for all organizations that are doing these activities, especially when there aren't specifics or any actual evidence of wrongdoing.

JOFFE-BLOCK: Texas is one of several states where unproven claims about noncitizen voting have led to real- world consequences. At least four states have announced new initiatives to remove noncitizens from their voter roles. It's a legitimate goal, but can unfairly target naturalized citizens when done in a sweeping way or when using old data. Kate Huddleston is an attorney with Campaign Legal Center.

KATE HUDDLESTON: There has certainly been an uptick this election cycle in states targeting naturalized citizens, and it does seem connected to rhetoric related to the idea - the myth, really - that noncitizens are voting in any meaningful number.

JOFFE-BLOCK: Earlier this summer, Tennessee election officials sent more than 14,000 registered voters a letter that asked them to mail in copies of their citizenship documents and warn them that noncitizen voting is punished with at least two years in jail. Roque Marcelo got one of the letters.

ROQUE MARCELO: As I read it, the first thought in my head was, did I do something wrong? And then the next thought I had was, OK, I guess I need to verify that I can vote.

JOFFE-BLOCK: Marcelo was born in the Philippines and became a U.S. citizen last year. He'd been looking forward to voting in his first presidential election this fall. The letter unsettled him.

MARCELO: It does feel like intimidation.

JOFFE-BLOCK: Voting rights groups sent a demand letter. Tennessee later sent a second letter to Marcelo and others, clarifying they would not be removed from the voter rolls. Marcelo says he'll vote as planned, but won't be surprised if some naturalized citizens may now feel unsure.

Jude Joffe-Block, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

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