Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed an executive order on July 9 that he hopes will bolster voter confidence and enhance election integrity.
In a landmark move amid national debates over voter eligibility, Idaho took executive action to ensure that its voter rolls remain free of noncitizens.
Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed an executive order on July 9 that directs a series of actions that he hopes will bolster voter confidence and enhance election integrity.
The order, called the Only Citizens Will Vote Act, directs the Idaho secretary of state to work with local county clerks to scrub the state’s voter rolls of noncitizens.
“Idaho already has the most secure elections in the nation, and we’re going to keep it that way,” the governor said in a statement, adding that the step is particularly important as more and more people pour across the southern border illegally.
Mr. Little’s executive order mandates several actions aimed at maintaining the integrity of Idaho’s voter rolls.
It tasks the secretary of state with implementing a number of processes to validate voter registration and prevent noncitizens from registering, including routine reviews of voter rolls carried out in coordination with Idaho State Police and the Idaho Transportation Department to identify noncitizens.
The secretary of state will also work with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to verify citizenship status, with annual reports detailing these efforts to be submitted to the governor and Legislature, who will review voter registration maintenance.
The order also prohibits state agencies from providing voter registration materials to noncitizens or coordinating with federal programs that provide voter registration materials to noncitizens.
Further, any state agency that enters into or renews contracts with federal entities must confirm that there is no requirement to provide voter registration materials to noncitizens.
“Across Idaho’s 44 counties, we have excellent mechanisms in place already to ensure non-citizens do not vote in Idaho, but there is always more we can do to make sure only citizens will vote,” Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane said in a statement.
By Tom Ozimek
