The United States government has cautioned non-citizens against voting or attempting to vote in the country’s upcoming elections, warning that anyone who violates federal voting laws will face prosecution.
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‎The warning was issued on Monday in a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office ahead of Wyoming’s primary election scheduled for August 18. According to the office, federal authorities are working closely with law enforcement agencies to protect the integrity of the electoral process.
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‎U.S. Attorney Darin Smith said officials are actively monitoring the election to ensure that only eligible American citizens cast ballots.
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‎”The right to vote is a fundamental pillar of our democracy. We encourage every eligible citizen to take part in the upcoming election, and we are working directly with our law enforcement partners and election officials to ensure fairness and protect lawful participation,” Smith said.
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‎He stressed that any non-citizen found voting or attempting to vote would be prosecuted under the law.
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‎”If you are not a U.S. citizen and you vote or attempt to vote, we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law!” he warned.
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‎The U.S. Attorney’s Office also stated that federal laws protect voters from intimidation, election interference and fraudulent activities at polling stations. It encouraged members of the public to report suspected election offences or violations of voting rights to the Department of Justice or other law enforcement authorities.
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‎The warning follows reports that about 6,600 non-citizens were mistakenly added to New Jersey’s voter registration list. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill acknowledged the error, while the White House attributed the incident to the state’s failure to carry out basic citizenship verification.
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‎The White House argued that the mistake highlights the need for Congress to approve the SAVE America Act, which seeks to strengthen citizenship verification in the voter registration process.If you’d like, I can also rewrite it in a more newspaper-style format with a stronger news lead.