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FACT BRIEF

Do Wisconsin election officials verify citizenship when a person registers to vote?

By Tom Kertscher / Wisconsin Watch
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NO

U.S. citizenship is required to vote in Wisconsin, but election officials generally don't try to verify citizenship when someone registers to vote.

Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, made the citizenship claim Nov. 24, 2024. 

The Wisconsin Elections Commission said Nov. 5:

“Voters must attest to their U.S. citizenship on their voter registration form under penalty of perjury.”  Wisconsin and federal law don't provide for systematically verifying citizenship "beyond the attestation.” Falsely claiming citizenship at registration is a felony.

There’s no evidence of noncitizens voting in elections in meaningful numbers.

Voters Nov. 5 amended the Wisconsin Constitution to limit voting to citizens. Republican supporters said it would prevent any move allowing noncitizens to vote in local elections, as some U.S. jurisdictions allow.

Over 9% of voting-age U.S. citizens (21.3 million people) cannot readily access proof of citizenship, because they do not have it or could not access it easily, a University of Maryland survey released in June said.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Wisconsin Elections Commission What Are the Rules Regarding Citizens and Voting in Wisconsin?
WISN 12 News UPFRONT: Speaker Vos 1-on-1
Wisconsin Watch Noncitizen voting rarely happens. But Wisconsin voters are hearing a lot about it.
Associated Press Noncitizen voting, already illegal in federal elections, becomes centerpiece of 2024 GOP messaging
University of Maryland Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement Who Lacks ID in America Today? An Exploration of Voter ID Access, Barriers, and Knowledge
Wisconsin Public Radio Wisconsin voters OK changes to constitutional language on citizens and voting
Wisconsin Watch Has the District of Columbia adopted a law allowing noncitizens to vote in local elections?
Ballotpedia Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States
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Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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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.