Census Bureau Report Links Noncitizen Voting to 2020 Election, but Data Flaws Undermine Findings

The U.S. The analysis of more than 128 million voter records purported to identify 24 000 individuals whose administrative files indicated non-citizen status, with state totals ranging from 4 300 in California to fewer than 15 in Wyoming. The report suggests that these instances could support claims that noncitizen voting affected the 2020 presidential outcome, although the numbers are far below the margin needed to change the result.

Wired Magazine

Investigators found that several authors of the study have recent ties to the Trump administration and the Republican-aligned America First Policy Institute. One co-author previously worked with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. Wired’s review indicates that the data set used contained inconsistencies and that the approval process before publication was insufficiently rigorous, raising the likelihood of analytical errors rather than genuine instances of illegal voting.

Wired Magazine

President Donald Trump posted “I WON THE ELECTION” on Truth Social after the report’s release, framing the findings as validation of his long-standing allegation of widespread noncitizen voting. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick also praised the study in a post on X, echoing the administration’s narrative that election safety is under threat. The White House directed Wired to these statements for reference.

Wired Magazine

Election officials in Utah, led by Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson, reviewed roughly 2.1 million registered voters and confirmed only 27 noncitizens, none of whom voted. Similar investigations in Pennsylvania and Idaho produced comparable results, reinforcing the view that noncitizen voting is vanishingly rare. Census Bureau staff and external experts interviewed by Wired argue that the 24 000 figure likely stems from basic data-handling mistakes. The Census Bureau declined to comment when asked for clarification.

Wired Magazine

While the report has been seized upon by Trump allies to bolster claims of a compromised 2020 election, the identified numbers are insufficient to alter the presidential margin and are contested by multiple election officials. The episode highlights ongoing partisan battles over election legitimacy and underscores the need for transparent, methodologically sound research when alleging systemic voting irregularities.

Wired Magazine