And now for some good news on the immigration issue in Idaho. Our laws and our constitutional amendment prohibiting anyone but U.S. citizens from voting in Idaho elections seem to be working. 

Recall, in 2024, House Joint Resolution 5 (carried by Rep. Kevin Andrus), referred to as "Idaho's only citizens vote measure," passed the Legislature and put the constitutional amendment on the ballot. Voters approved the amendment in November 2024 with nearly 65% support.

Of course, the state already had some existing laws prohibiting non-citizens from voting, but the amendment solidified the principle into our state constitution. Both the law and the constitution are working as intended, with the Secretary of State's office auditing voter rolls and finding a minimal number of non-citizens registered to vote. 

Here’s what has been happening so far:

• Voter Roll Audits: Following Governor Little’s executive order in July 2024, the Idaho Secretary of State's office, in coordination with county clerks, the Idaho Transportation Department, Idaho State Police, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (using the SAVE system), audited the state's more than 1 million voter registrations.
• Identified Cases: The audit successfully identified citizenship for the "overwhelming majority" of voters, narrowing the search down to 36 individuals who were non-citizens on the voter rolls. This represents about 0.003% of the voting population — not perfect, but a very low number. Absolute voter integrity, however, requires zero percent. There’s still some work to do.
• Enforcement: Beyond merely removing illegal voters from the rolls, penalties need to be enforced. In August this year, two individuals were arrested in Ada County for voting when ineligible. One was a convicted felon, the other a non-citizen. A non-citizen caught voting illegally may face loss of citizenship opportunity, deportation, and loss of immigrant-related assistance.
• Legal Status: Voting or registering to vote by non-citizens has long been illegal under both federal and existing Idaho law. The new constitutional amendment adds a further, explicit prohibition that cannot be sidestepped by merely passing a bill.

Now, it’s time to put in the work to keep our elections secure. Idaho is a leader in protecting election integrity by allowing only citizens as legal voters in all Idaho elections. Our statutes, our constitution, and the 2024 executive order are on the right track to keeping Idaho elections for Idaho citizens, but more must be done.

This year’s House Bill 94 would have increased security and implemented stronger enforcement mechanisms by the Secretary of State (SOS). Specifically, it would have required the SOS to use all available databases, such as the Help America Vote Verification information system, to verify a voter's citizenship status and establish a more robust system for cross-checking voter registrations with driver’s license data.

While we continue to face a number of illegal immigration-related issues in other areas, such as jobs, crime, and public assistance, with a little more legislative effort and some vigilance, our elections have the potential to look as secure as possible. This is all thanks to the good work done by the Legislature and the SOS.