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FACT BRIEF

Did 10,000 undocumented immigrants cast votes using the same social security number in Arizona’s 2020 election?

By Carmela Guaglianone
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NO

There is no evidence that 10,000 undocumented immigrants voted illegally using a single social security number in Arizona’s 2020 election. Undocumented immigrants cannot vote in U.S. elections. Only U.S. citizens are eligible to vote, with the exception of a few municipalities that allow non-citizen voting in local elections.

Non-citizens with lawful resident status may possess a valid social security number under some circumstances, but this does not make them eligible to vote. 

Arizona law requires individuals to submit proof of citizenship with their voter registration to be eligible for state and local elections. To vote in federal elections, individuals must certify under penalty of perjury that they are a U.S. citizen. Non-citizens risk jail time or deportation for fraudulent registration. Studies have found instances of non-citizen voter registration to be exceptionally rare. 

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
US Social Security Administration Social Security Numbers for Nonresidents
US Social Security Administration Help America Vote Verification (HAVV) Transactions by State
US Government Who can and cannot vote
Arizona Secretary of State Proof of Citizenship Requirements
National Conference of State Legislatures Voter Registration List Maintenance
Cornell Law School 18 U.S. Code § 1015 - Naturalization, citizenship or alien registry
Cato Institute Noncitizens Don’t Illegally Vote in Detectable Numbers
Heritage Foundation Voter Fraud Map: Election Fraud Database
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting
The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting is the state’s only independent, nonpartisan and collaborative nonprofit newsroom dedicated to statewide, data-driven investigative reporting. AZCIR's mission is to hold powerful people and institutions accountable by exposing injustice and systemic inequities through investigative journalism.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.