Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, has introduced a new measure aimed at preventing noncitizens from serving as election administrators ahead of the 2024 presidential election. The bill, named the “No Foreign Persons Administering Our Elections Act,” would prohibit state and local jurisdictions from hiring individuals who are not U.S. citizens, including illegal immigrants, to oversee federal elections.
Pfluger emphasized the importance of ensuring that only American citizens have the responsibility of serving as election administrators, stating that foreign agents have no place in overseeing the democratic process. The bill comes in response to the appointment of Kelly Wong, an immigrant from Hong Kong who is not a U.S. citizen, to the San Francisco Elections Commission.
Wong’s appointment was made possible after San Francisco passed a measure in 2020 removing the citizenship requirement for serving on city boards and commissions. The move has sparked controversy, with Republicans pushing back against the influence noncitizens may have on U.S. elections.
Despite efforts by Senate Republicans to stop noncitizens, including illegal immigrants, from being counted on the census for apportionment purposes, the measure failed to gain support from Democrats. The bill aimed to include a citizenship question in the census and bar non-U.S. citizens from being counted for congressional district and Electoral College apportionment.
The push to exclude noncitizens from the census comes amid concerns about the impact of illegal immigration on the electoral process. The bill also seeks to prevent legal immigrants on temporary visas and green cards from being counted in the census. The move is reminiscent of a Trump-era effort to include a citizenship question on the 2020 census, which faced criticism from Democrats and immigration groups.
Overall, Rep. Pfluger’s bill reflects ongoing debates about the role of noncitizens in U.S. elections and the efforts to safeguard the integrity of the voting system. The issue is likely to continue to be a point of contention as the 2024 presidential election approaches.
