House panel demands classified briefings on noncitizen voting, alleged Chinese election interference
The House committee charged with overseeing American elections is demanding more information on allegations of noncitizens voting in federal races.
The Committee on House Administration is requesting classified briefings on foreign interference in U.S. elections after President Donald Trump raised such concerns during a speech earlier this month.
"Reports of noncitizens casting illegal ballots continue to emerge, undermining election integrity and public confidence in American elections," wrote Committee Chairman Bryan Steil, R-Wis.
"To inform potential legislative reforms, the Committee therefore requests a Member-level, classified briefing from DHS on the number of non-citizens registered to vote across the country and cyber vulnerabilities present in current voting systems. Please contact the Committee by August 13, 2026, to set up a briefing to be held in the month of September. The Committee also requests that any relevant documents be provided alongside the briefing."
The classified briefing requests were sent to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin, FBI Director Kash Patel and acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Bill Pulte.
In the letters, Steil cited Trump's claim that DHS discovered roughly 278,000 noncitizens registered to vote as well as recent revelations that New Jersey mistakenly added 6,600 noncitizens to its voter rolls in 2023 and 2024.
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Steil also pointed to Trump's comments in his speech on Chinese-led "cyberattacks on election infrastructure."
The committee's release said there were "serious concerns about the security of American elections."
The briefing requests come less than 100 days before the November midterm elections, which will decide which party controls both houses of Congress for the latter half of Trump's final term in the Oval Office.
Republicans have long raised concerns about the security of American elections, which Democrats have argued are attempts to undermine people's faith in those elections.
It is already a federal crime to vote in elections as a noncitizen, but the GOP is pushing for further guardrails such as proof of citizenship in the voter registration process and a federal voter ID standard at the polls.
To date, no evidence has been found that noncitizens have swayed the outcome of any federal election.