How Many NY Voters are Illegally Registered

In light of recent revelations that New York Department of Motor Vehicles has issued as many as 250,000 driver’s licenses to individuals who provided Social Security numbers that do not match information in the Social Security Administration’s database, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) is calling upon the state’s Board of Elections to conduct a county by county review of voter rolls. Under the Motor Voter law, it is reasonable to “assume that large numbers of individuals have also been unlawfully registered to vote,” state FAIR in a formal demand letter to Board of Elections Chair Carole Berman.

“After the 2000 voting fiasco in Florida, that included allegations of fraudulent voting in addition to the infamous hanging chads, it is vital that every state take precautions to prevent a repeat of the situation,” cautioned Dan Stein, executive director of FAIR. “If the DMV found a quarter of a million improperly issued driver’s licenses — nearly the equivalent of the population of Buffalo — there is a very strong possibility that large numbers of people are also improperly registered to vote, and may be in a position to decide a very tight election.”

It is believed that a large percentage of the 250,000 individuals whose driver’s license applications included erroneous Social Security information are illegal aliens. Because many people register to vote at the time they apply for a driver’s license, it must be assumed by county registrars that a significant number of illegal aliens have also been added to voter rolls.

“We learned four years ago that when the integrity of the voter registration process is compromised, the outcome of elections — including the presidency of the United States — can be compromised,” said Stein. “In the post-9/11 era, allowing people to obtain driver’s licenses, voter registration cards and other state-issued ID is also a threat to security. It is a lesson that New Yorkers know better than anyone.

“The names and addresses of the 250,000 people identified by the DMV are right there on their licenses. It should not be a major undertaking to cross reference those names against county voter rolls,” Stein continued. “What we are asking is that the Board of Elections live up to what is stated in its charter, which includes ‘the preservation of citizen confidence in the democratic process and enhancement in voter participation in elections.’ Making sure that illegal aliens are not casting votes in New York would seem to fit that description of the Board’s responsibility.” A copy of the letter can be obtained from FAIR.