The Department of Homeland Security announced a new requirement for states seeking federal election grants: mandatory implementation of specified security measures to protect election integrity.
This directive follows letters sent to election officials in California, New Jersey, Nevada, and Pennsylvania warning of potentially illegal non‑citizen registrations on state voter rolls.
The agency identified more than 250,000 potential non‑citizen voter registrations across the four states, with California alone reporting 190,832 cases, New Jersey 35,152, Nevada 15,903, and Pennsylvania 14,576.
State officials were given a two‑week deadline to confirm cooperation with the agency and to adopt the required security enhancements.
The Secretary of Homeland Security emphasized that election security is a national security priority and called for accountability among election officials to ensure free, fair, and honest elections.
He noted that judicial decisions have limited federal access to state voter rolls, presenting a challenge to the federal effort to strengthen election systems.
The Secretary urged that securing elections is a nonpartisan objective, stating that all judges and citizens should prioritize the protection of the electoral process.
