How Many Illegals Registered To Vote

A loophole in the new constabulary granting commuter's licenses to illegal immigrants could allow hundreds of thousands of people to fraudulently register to vote in New York, according to critics, the country Lath of Elections and the bill's own sponsor.

"[A] major business concern is that many states, including New York, employ their DMVs to enroll voters. Since New York does not take voter-identification laws like the majority of other states practise, this bill increases the potential for voter fraud," state Sen. Republican Minority Leader John Flanagan (R–Suffolk) said Tuesday.

"This means that New York will soon have the well-nigh radical, open-ended law in the entire nation."

The Green Light Pecker, which passed the Senate 33-29 Mon and was signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, allows illegal immigrants to obtain "standard" state driver's licenses that can be used for identification and to board domestic flights.

But it is too the sole document required to register to vote, according to officials.

Even legislative sponsor Luis Sepúlveda (D-Bronx) admitted the provision could exist abused.

"Theoretically, they could have the power to vote," he said while arguing for the bill during a Mon hearing in Albany.

Voters demand only provide a driver's license number to register to vote, according to BOE spokesman John Conklin.

"If you have a driver's license number, y'all basically stop at that place," Conklin told The Mail service Tuesday of the vetting process.

Registrants are required to check a box swearing they are eligible to vote in the US, but "it'south basically an honor system," he said.

Anyone who fraudulently fills out a voter form is subject area to state fines of upwards to $5,000 and four years in prison — equally well as potential removal from the country by the feds, BOE reps said.

Sepúlveda said anyone who wants to commit voter fraud already can — and has noted that instances are extremely rare.

"Anybody could theoretically commit voter fraud," he said. "You lot could get a class and register to vote, put any name — a teenager could get a form . . . there'south zilch that is 100% foolproof."

Meanwhile, Erie County Clerk Michael Kearns — who is responsible for processing county driver'southward licenses — said Tuesday he'd ignore the law and file a legal challenge.

"I will not be granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants," he wrote in a letter to the Erie County Law Department.

The country DMV said it provides voter registration applications to customers and sends them to the Lath of Elections merely has no role in vetting applications.