ACLJ Obtains Cheverly, Maryland, Noncitizen Voter Registry; Investigation Shows 25% of Names Appear To Have Voted in Federal Elections | American Center for Law and Justice

ACLJ Obtains Cheverly, Maryland, Noncitizen Voter Registry; Investigation Shows 25% of Names Appear To Have Voted in Federal Elections | American Center for Law and Justice

The article alleges that approximately one-quarter of noncitizens on Cheverly, Maryland’s local voter registry illegally participated in federal elections between 2020 and 2024. By cross-referencing the town’s supplemental records with state voter data, investigators found significant discrepancies, suggesting either widespread fraud or severe administrative incompetence. The core finding is that individuals explicitly registered only for municipal contests, where citizenship is not required, have appeared in voting records for higher-level federal races, violating legal restrictions on noncitizen participation. This situation is highly relevant to open data because the revelation relied entirely on the transparency and accessibility of public voter registries. The American Center for Law and Justice successfully obtained the local noncitizen registry through public records requests, highlighting how open government data serves as a critical tool for civic oversight. Without the ability to access, share, and compare these disparate datasets, the intersection between local noncitizen rolls and statewide federal voting records would remain hidden, preventing the detection of potential electoral irregularities. The implications extend beyond a single municipality, as similar noncitizen voting schemes are emerging in other U.S. cities. The article argues that such systems create structural opportunities for abuse, undermining election integrity and effectively canceling out the votes of eligible citizens. Consequently, the findings have prompted referrals to federal authorities and calls for broader investigations, emphasizing the urgent need for rigorous data verification and accountability in managing voter rolls to preserve public trust in democratic processes.

Source: aclj.org
Published on 2026-10-29