In a bold legal blitz, Donald Trump and his Republican allies are reviving claims that non-citizens are poised to influence the upcoming U.S. presidential election. These lawsuits, which have already targeted key battleground states, allege that lax voter registration rules could allow non-citizens to cast illegal ballots in November.
So far, the campaign has filed eight suits, focusing primarily on voter registration procedures in crucial swing states, including Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. Trump’s camp frames the move as a defense of election integrity, even as legal experts and independent studies argue that such incidents are so rare they’re statistically insignificant. A 2016 study found only 30 instances of non-citizen voting among 23.5 million ballots cast.
Despite the lack of evidence, Trump’s legal strategy plays into a familiar narrative: if he wins, the election was fair; if he loses, the system was rigged. Election law experts note that the claims are unlikely to stand up in court but are more about laying the groundwork for post-election challenges, should the results not go in Trump’s favor.
In Arizona, a lawsuit aims to scrutinize 44,000 voters registered without proof of citizenship—a tiny fraction of the overall electorate. Critics, however, label these efforts as fearmongering designed to undermine confidence in the democratic process rather than safeguard it.
With the race tightening in pivotal states, the lawsuits are more than a courtroom battle; they’re a calculated step in a broader campaign to sow doubt in the election results. Whether or not these cases hold up in court, their real impact may be felt in the court of public opinion.
