Fact-check analysisVerified as of September 26, 2026Curated by FactVerify
Mostly True

US states have mistakenly registered 30,000 non-citizens to vote.

An inquiry by Reuters revealed that upwards of 30,000 people who declared themselves as non-citizens were erroneously placed on American voter lists since the turn of the millennium, largely stemming from technical defects or processing oversights.

New Reuters Study Finds Number Noncitizens Mistakenly

New Reuters Study Finds Number Noncitizens Mistakenly

Source: mediamatters.org

At a glance

Key Evidence

Verified September 26, 2026
  • A Reuters study from September 2026 documented that over 30,000 self-identified non-citizens were incorrectly included in U.S. Voter registries starting in 2000.

  • These entries were largely the result of administrative mistakes and technical bugs during the issuance of state identification cards rather than deliberate attempts at fraud.

  • Researchers were unable to confirm if any of these individuals voted, and specialists highlight that illegal participation by non-citizens is an extremely infrequent occurrence.

The reporting

What the Evidence Shows

A Reuters article released on September 23, 2026, uncovered that more than 30,000 individuals who identified as non-citizens were wrongly enrolled in voter databases across states governed by both major political parties during the last 26 years. These inaccuracies generally resulted from procedural lapses, including software malfunctions and human error during the handling of identification or motor vehicle documentation.mediamatters.orgmediamatters.orgNew Reuters Study Finds Number Noncitizens MistakenlyA recent investigation by Reuters (published September 23, 2026) found that more than 30,000 self-declared non-citizens have been mistakenly added to U.S. voter rolls since 2000 Source of the Errors: The investigation identified that these...wincountry.comwincountry.comThirty Thousand Mistakes How Red and Blue States Added Non Citizens to the Us...A recent investigation by Reuters (published September 23, 2026) found that more than 30,000 self-declared non-citizens have been mistakenly added to U.S. voter rolls since 2000 Source of the Errors: The investigation identified that these...

Although the Reuters findings validate the existence of these registration flaws, it is vital to differentiate between accidental enrollment and unlawful participation in elections. The investigation clarified that it could not verify if any of these people proceeded to vote. Additionally, researchers and independent observers maintain that while incorrect registrations happen, deliberate voting by non-citizens is highly uncommon. Verification systems designed to spot such voters often generate inaccurate results, as they might misidentify naturalized citizens because of obsolete or insufficient federal data.factcheck.orgfactcheck.orgNoncitizen VotingInvestigations into such cases consistently show that while registrations occur due to bureaucratic errors, instances of non-citizens intentionally casting illegal votes are exceedingly rare In the past, government databases intended to...latimes.comlatimes.comJustices Uphold Trumps Expanded Data Checks to Spot Non Citizens Who Registered...In the past, government databases intended to identify non-citizen voters have frequently been found to produce "false positives," often flagging naturalized U.S. citizens as non-citizens because of outdated or incomplete information For...+2 more

In summary, the evidence verifies the extent of administrative mistakes mentioned, yet the suggestion that such registrations signify pervasive illegal voting lacks factual support. These registration counts represent a tiny fraction of the overall American electorate, which surpasses 170 million people.electioninnovation.orgelectioninnovation.orgClaims Noncitizen Registration Voting Analysis TrackerScale and Impact: Experts cited in the report and analysis from organizations like the Center for Election Innovation & Research (CEIR) note that these figures are extremely small relative to the total number of registered voters in the...

Primary trail

Verified Sources7

Justices Uphold Trumps Expanded Data Checks to Spot Non Citizens Who Registered...

latimes.com
Open source

Claims Noncitizen Registration Voting Analysis Tracker

electioninnovation.org
Open source
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