Nearly 4,000 Michigan voters are not U.S. Citizens says Secretary of State Johnson

Secretary of State Ruth Johnson released a statement claiming as many as 4,000 registered voters in Michigan are not U.S. citizens. David Eggert of Mlive has the story:

"Don't tell me that every vote isn't critical," Johnson said in a statement, adding that five separate state House races in the August primary were decided by fewer than 100 votes. "We have to face this issue, not ignore it, or we are doing a disservice to every legitimate voter in Michigan."

Johnson's staff looked at 58,000 driver's licenses and state ID cards for which citizenship status could be verified, and found 963 who are non-citizens and registered to vote. Fifty-four appear to have a voting history, according to Johnson, and may have voted 95 times altogether.

Johnson's decision to add a citizenship question to ballot applications for the November election prompted a suit by the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan and other groups.

See Michigan Radio's coverage of the lawsuit here.

- Jordan Wyant, Michigan Radio Newsroom