Idaho governor announces executive order to tighten up voter registration rules

Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) announced an executive order Tuesday to tighten up voter registration in the state ahead of the election this fall.

The order, called the Only Citizens Will Vote Act, will allow the Idaho secretary of state to “take all necessary steps” to prevent noncitizens from registering to vote.

“Idaho already has the most secure elections in the nation, and we’re going to keep it that way,” Little said. “My executive order – the ONLY CITIZENS WILL VOTE Act – directs Secretary of State Phil McGrane to work with local county clerks to scrub our voter rolls and make sure Idaho’s elections do not fall prey to the consequences of Biden’s lawless open border.”

Under the new order, the Idaho secretary of state will review the state’s voter rolls with local police and the transportation department to identify anyone who is not a citizen. The secretary of state can also work with the Department of Homeland Security to verify citizenship status and then remove the individual from the registration.

The secretary and county clerks will submit an annual report to Little on their efforts to "prevent and remove non-citizens from Idaho's voter rolls."

The order also prohibits state agencies from providing voter registration information to noncitizens.

Little said the executive order was signed as a means to fight back to the “Left Coast states and the Biden Administration” as “more and more people pour across our lawless open southern border illegally.”

Federal law prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections, but some places across the country have allowed noncitizens to vote in more local races.

Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane said in a statement that there already are great voter security mechanisms in place in Idaho, but more can always be done.

“Across Idaho’s 44 counties, we have excellent mechanisms in place already to ensure non-citizens do not vote in Idaho, but there is always more we can do to make sure only citizens will vote,” McGrane said.

The secretary told the Idaho Statesman that because it’s already illegal for noncitizens to vote in Idaho, he initially felt that further action wasn’t necessary.

He's since changed his mind, joining Little on the order, and said the legality of noncitizens voting hasn’t stopped his concerns.  

“We’re seeing a rise and a push more about people’s confidence in elections tied to the news about immigration,” he told the outlet.