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HELENA, Mont. — Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen announced that the Department of Homeland Security’s Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) conducted a thorough examination of 23 Montana voter records flagged through the SAVE tool. Based on all federal records at its disposal, USCIS confirmed that all 23 belong to individuals who appear in non-citizen status.
A state review of the 23 voter records indicated nearly 150 ballots were cast in Montana elections. Additionally, several voter records indicated participation in Montana’s petition signature-gathering process.
“For the first time in state history, election officials are able to verify citizenship of Montana’s voter rolls, and at no cost. The federal government’s SAVE tool is producing results,” said Secretary Jacobsen. “One illegal vote disenfranchises the voices of eligible Montanans and can cause irreparable harm to our elections.
Close election races are common in Montana, particularly at the local level. In fact, a recent city council ward race resulted in a tie, and it’s increasingly common for Montana’s local elections to be decided by only a handful of votes. Several races during the 2024 General Election were flagged as possible recount races due to their slim margins.
Secretary Jacobsen also announced that her office had been notified that a non-citizen had come forward and requested cancellation of their voter registration. An initial review indicated that the individual participated in Montana’s electoral process. The update comes after Secretary Jacobsen provided public outreach to Montanans, which was required and an official duty of the office, announcing that election officials would begin verifying the citizenship of the state’s voter registration list.
“Montana has made it clear: only citizens should be allowed to register and vote, and non-citizen voting will not be tolerated,” Secretary Jacobsen said. “Anyone illegally on Montana’s voter rolls should follow this individual’s example – come forward and cancel your illegal voter registration.”
The Secretary of State’s Office will immediately begin working with the appropriate counties. Because of the confidential nature of an ongoing investigation and due-process procedures, state and county elections officials will have no further comment, and no additional details are available at this time. The Montana Election Team remains committed to transparency and will continue to provide Montanans with updates as they become available.