Pennsylvania says it needs more information to verify DHS’ claim that more than 14,000 potential noncitizens are registered to vote.

HARRISBURG, Pa. — A federal dispute over Pennsylvania’s voter registration records has drawn new attention after the Department of Homeland Security claimed a preliminary review identified more than 14,000 potential noncitizens registered to vote in the Commonwealth.

Pennsylvania officials say they have not been given enough information to verify that claim.



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The dispute is separate from a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Department of Justice over Pennsylvania’s refusal to turn over its statewide voter registration list.


What DHS is claiming

In a letter to Pennsylvania, DHS said a preliminary review found up to 14,576 noncitizens may be registered to vote in the Commonwealth.

Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said the state has asked DHS to explain how it arrived at that number.

“So far, all that we’ve received is a letter from the Department of Homeland Security,” Schmidt said. “We responded to that letter, asking for the methodology, like where did this number come from, basically.”

Schmidt said Pennsylvania has not received a list identifying the people included in the figure or information explaining how DHS reached its conclusion. Until it does, the state says it cannot determine whether any of those registrations are actually ineligible.


How Pennsylvania checks voter registrations

County election officials say voter registrations already go through verification procedures and maintain that elections in the commonwealth are secure.

Julie Wheeler, York County president commissioner and president of the York County Board of Elections, said information provided by a person registering to vote is checked through systems established under the federal Help America Vote Act.

“When a potential voter comes in and fills out an application, there’s something called the HAVA Act, Help America Vote Act, and so we take the information that we’ve been supplied from the voter and marry it against that database to ensure that the person is a citizen here in the United States,” Wheeler said.

Wheeler said suspected fraud is referred to the district attorney’s office for investigation.

“If there’s any suspected fraud, we pass that right away to the district attorney’s office,” Wheeler said.

Only U.S. citizens who meet Pennsylvania’s other eligibility requirements can legally register and vote in the state.


Why the federal government and Pennsylvania are fighting

The dispute over Pennsylvania’s voter rolls began well before the DHS claim.

In 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice requested statewide voter registration records from Pennsylvania and several other states.

Pennsylvania declined, citing concerns about voter privacy.

The DOJ sued Pennsylvania in September 2025 over the state’s refusal to provide the records.

U.S. District Judge Cathy Bissoon dismissed the case, and the DOJ has since appealed that decision.

Pennsylvania officials argue the dispute raises a broader question about the federal government’s role in administering elections.

“Our Constitution is very clear in that it vests states with the responsibility and the authority to run elections, provided they are conducted in accordance with federal law,” Schmidt said. “The federal government does not run elections in the United States. The states are responsible for doing that.”

For Pennsylvania voters, the eligibility rules have not changed. 

Election officials say they will continue verifying voter registrations and investigating suspected fraud under existing law while awaiting additional information from DHS about its findings.