Gray supports bill requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote

CHEYENNE (WNE) — On May 9, Secretary of State Chuck Gray issued a statement expressing his support for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, otherwise known as the SAVE Act, which was recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The SAVE Act ensures only U.S. citizens vote in elections for federal office by requiring proof of citizenship at the time of voter registration.

“I am in complete and 100% support of the SAVE Act,” Gray said in a news release. “Only U.S. citizens should be voting. With the ongoing Biden-created crisis at the southern border affecting each and every state, including Wyoming, creating safeguards to prevent illegal aliens from voting is paramount to election integrity, and national security.

“Our office previously adopted amendments to our Election Procedures that would have required proof of Wyoming residency and prevented illegal immigrants from registering to vote in Wyoming, but these were vetoed by the Governor. In light of the Governor’s veto of our proposed rules, it is now more important than ever that government at all levels ensure appropriate safeguards to ensure only U.S. citizens, not illegal aliens, are voting.”

According to Associated Press reporting, there isn’t any indication that noncitizens vote in significant numbers in federal elections, and it is already a crime for them to do so. There have been cases of noncitizens casting ballots, but they are extremely rare.

This story was published on May 16, 2024.