Election Integrity: MI State Rep. Bryan Posthumus Preps Constitutional Amendment to Ensure Only Citizens Vote Jeff Swensen/Getty

Michigan State Rep. Bryan Posthumus (R) said it is crucial that only citizens can vote in the state’s elections, announcing his plans to introduce an amendment to Michigan’s constitution to ensure this is the case.

Posthumus made the announcement Wednesday during a radio interview with Mike Austin on 1320 WILS.

“Only American citizens can vote in American elections,” he said in a statement included in a press release, which notes that this move comes amid reports that a Chinese foreign national registered to vote and cast a ballot at an early voting site in Ann Arbor during the November election.

“Unfortunately, the current election law and framework are insufficient to safeguard this foundational principle,” he said.

The action is in response to national news of a Chinese foreign national registering and casting a ballot in Ann Arbor during the November general election. According to the Associated Press, the non-citizen was a student at the University of Michigan who now faces charges.

“Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office has authorized criminal charges of (1) Unauthorized Elector Attempting To Vote, in violation of MCL 168.932a(c), and (2) Perjury – Making a False Affidavit for Purpose of Securing Voter Registration, in violation of MCL 168.933,” according to a joint statement from Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit, dated October 30, 2024.

Posthumus hopes to address this issue in the next legislative session and plans to “introduce a constitutional amendment to protect and strengthen the electoral franchise of citizens,” per the press release.

“The amendment will require prospective voters to produce proof of citizenship during registration and government-issued photo identification when casting a ballot,” it adds.

“Not one American citizen should have their vote canceled out by a non-citizen,” Posthumus said, emphasizing that this “must not be a partisan issue.”

“I look forward to working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to immediately pass this constitutional amendment,” he added in the press release, which notes that Republican state Reps. Jay DeBoyer, Ann Bollin, and Rachelle Smit will be co-sponsoring the legislation.

“All charges are allegations only, and defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty,” the joint statement from Benson and Savit reads.

“Only U.S. citizens can register and vote in our elections. It is illegal to lie on any registration forms or voting applications about one’s citizenship status. Doing so is a felony,” they continued:

We are grateful for the swift action of the clerk in this case, who took the appropriate steps and referred the case to law enforcement. We are also grateful to law enforcement for swiftly and thoroughly investigating this case. Anyone who attempts to vote illegally faces significant consequences, including but not limited to arrest and prosecution.

Noncitizen voting is an extremely isolated and rare event. Investigations in multiple states and nationwide have found no evidence of large numbers of noncitizens registering to vote. Even less common is a noncitizen actually casting a ballot. When it does happen, we take it extremely seriously. Our elections are secure and Michigan’s state and local election officials carefully follow the law.

Our duty to the law is paramount, as is our responsibility to ensure that every eligible voter is able to register and cast a ballot.

They concluded with a warning. “Let this be clear: Voting records are public – any noncitizen who attempts to vote fraudulently in Michigan will be exposing themselves to great risk and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

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