Rep. Niemerg Sounds Alarm Over Noncitizen Voter Registration Mailings

Written by David E. Smith

Last week, we reported on comments made by State Senator Steve McClure (R-Effingham) in which he raised serious concerns after discovering that the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) had sent voter registration materials to noncitizens applying for state assistance. That revelation alone sparked widespread concern and raised an obvious question: Why would a state agency be placing voter registration materials into the hands of individuals who are not legally eligible to vote?

Now, with the increased attention, the controversy appears to be intensifying.

State Representative Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich) took to the Illinois House floor this week to express alarm over what he described as a deeply troubling failure within state government. During a point of personal privilege, Niemerg stated that he was “deeply disturbed” by reports that noncitizens received voter registration packets allegedly pre-addressed to local county clerks.

“Let that sink in,” Niemerg said. “A state agency under Governor Pritzker’s administration is admitting that non-citizens were sent voter registration packets…”

Niemerg argued that the issue goes far beyond a bureaucratic error. In his remarks, he emphasized that voting is among the most sacred responsibilities of citizenship and warned that government agencies should not be creating circumstances that invites abuse and undermines public confidence.

Watch this short video to listen to State Representative Niemerg’s complete statement:

The concern goes far beyond whether non-citizen voting has occurred. The larger question is why a state agency appears to have implemented a process that creates opportunities for ineligible individuals to influence local, state, or federal elections.

Carol Davis, Chair, Illinois Conservative Union and election integrity champion, responds to this growing controversy, saying:

With this in-your-face move to institutionalize election fraud in Illinois, the IDHS and the Leftists ruling Illinois may have overplayed their hand. Learning that this practice has been taking place since at least January 2025, this outrage seems poised to get the attention of the Federal Department of Justice. The Left might want to seriously reconsider this blatantly unlawful practice and take steps to undo the damage. Illinois may be feeling Federal heat soon.

Additionally the Left has just handed U.S. citizens strong evidence and fresh incentive in advocating for the U.S. Senate to pass the SAVE America Act. At the hand of Senate Leader John Thune, the legislation has been languishing in the Senate for months in spite of overwhelming support of We the People for its passage. Leader Thune: NOW is the time – pass the SAVE America Act so Illinois can remove any and all illegals from our voter rolls and prevent any more from being added!

According to reports highlighted by the Illinois Freedom Caucus, IDHS officials acknowledged during Illinois Senate testimony that voter registration materials had been mailed to some noncitizens who applied for benefits. Conservatives argue that while federal law already prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections, government systems should be designed to prevent confusion and reduce opportunities for error rather than foster them.

In fact, Davis points out that both the U.S. Constitution AND the Illinois state constitution restrict voting to U.S. citizens in both Federal and State elections:

Article III, Section 1 of the Illinois Constitution reads: “Every United States citizen who has attained the age of 18 or any other voting age required by the United States for voting in State elections and who has been a permanent resident of this State for at least 30 days next preceding any election shall have the right to vote at such election.”

The key legal nuance — “in State elections”:

The citizenship requirement in the Illinois Constitution is explicitly tied to state elections. While state and federal law clearly require U.S. citizenship to vote in state and federal elections, the phrase “in State elections” has left open the question of whether non-citizens could vote in local elections, such as municipal or school board elections.

Rep. Niemerg also pointed to another issue he believes deserves scrutiny: local election officials face limitations in independently verifying immigration status. During his remarks he stated, “The county clerks by statute can’t check immigration status. I wonder how many illegals we have on the voter rolls today.”

That concern touches a broader issue increasingly debated across the nation: election integrity and public trust. Whether discussing voter ID laws, citizenship verification requirements, ballot security, or registration procedures, confidence in elections depends not only on preventing wrongdoing but also on maintaining systems that inspire confidence among the public.

Niemerg used his remarks to urge the U.S. Senate to pass the SAVE Act, legislation intended to require proof of citizenship for voter registration, while also calling for federal scrutiny of Illinois’ actions. He argued that the issue warrants more than political talking points or agency explanations. The federal legislation previously passed the U.S. House and now awaits action in the U.S. Senate.

Illinois families should not have to wonder whether government agencies are exercising proper care with something as fundamentally important as elections. Whether this proves to be negligence, policy failure, or something else entirely, citizens deserve transparency and accountability.

At a minimum, Illinois taxpayers deserve clear answers: Who approved this process? How many noncitizens received these materials, completed and returned the forms? What safeguards existed? Most importantly, what is being done to ensure this never happens again?

Those are not partisan questions. They are questions every citizen interested in election integrity should be asking. The votes of Illinois citizens should not be cancelled by those casting ballots illegally.

Take ACTION: Please click HERE to contact U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckward to urge them to immediately advance and pass the SAVE America Act.

More ACTION:  Please also contact U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune to urge him to pass the SAVE America Act. The Capitol switchboard number is (202) 224-3121 and Senator Thune’s DC office number is (202) 224-2321.

Election integrity requires accurate voter rolls. To accomplish this, ineligible voters including those belonging to noncitizens, along with deceased individuals and people who have moved must be removed from the rolls, while protecting lawful voters from wrongful removal.

If citizenship verification is common sense in nearly every area of public life, why should voting, the cornerstone of self-government, be treated differently? The integrity of our elections is too important to ignore. If state agencies are sending voter registration materials to individuals who are not legally eligible to vote, Americans should be demanding answers and insisting on stronger safeguards.

This content was composed and finalized by the author.
IFA staff and AI tools were used for proofing and clarity.