The claim that over 250,000 non-U.S. citizens are registered to vote in California, Nevada, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania has been rated as false.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated in July 2026 that it had identified a potential number of non-citizens registered to vote across these four states. Specifically, the DHS claimed there might be as many as 190,832 in California, 35,152 in New Jersey, 15,903 in Nevada, and 14,576 in Pennsylvania. However, the DHS did not provide any evidence to substantiate these figures.
This claim emerged amidst repeated assertions by then-President Donald Trump and his administration questioning the integrity of U.S. elections. Numerous outlets, including those with a conservative stance, have reviewed and refuted these allegations of widespread voter fraud.
In response to inquiries, DHS provided a copy of its initial news release but offered no additional information. Election officials from California, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania also responded to requests for comment.
The California Secretary of State’s office described the allegation as “fallacious” and “unsubstantiated,” noting that DHS had not supplied sufficient detail to allow for investigation.
A separate report on New Jersey indicated that a software error had inadvertently registered approximately 6,600 noncitizens to vote between 2023 and 2024. This number is significantly lower than the DHS’s claim, and officials confirmed these voters cast fewer than 400 ballots statewide. The state has since taken steps to rectify the voter rolls and address the software issue.
Nevada officially denied the claim, presenting data showing a very small number of active voters who had not provided documentation like a driver’s license or Social Security number, which are used to verify citizenship.
Pennsylvania’s Secretary of State, a Republican, also disputed the claim, stating that the state adheres to all election laws and maintains accurate voter rolls. Like California, Pennsylvania requested the DHS’s methodology and a list of alleged ineligible voters to conduct a thorough review, while also noting the rarity of noncitizen voting.
Furthermore, analyses have shown that systems used for estimating noncitizen registrations can sometimes misidentify U.S. citizens as noncitizens. Audits in other states, such as Iowa and Georgia, have found very small numbers of noncitizens on voter rolls after thorough investigation.
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