Illinois Secretary of State clarifying misinformation about voter registration at DMV

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Former President Donald Trump and others are spreading debunked claims that undocumented residents are voting in the 2024 election. It's a nationwide issue as early voting is underway and the polls open November 5.

In Illinois, Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is reminding election officials about added safeguards put in place to ensure that only legally-qualified U.S. citizens can register to vote at the DMV.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

"We live in a world where information is easy to get, but that means good and bad information are easy to get, factually correct things, but also factually incorrect claims that are more sensational, more attention getting," said Brian Gaines, Arrington Professor in State Politics for the University of Illinois system.

That happened during last month's presidential debate hosted by ABC. Trump made a baseless claim that Democrats are asking migrants, who recently arrived, to vote for them in the November election.

"Anybody who's saying this election is being rigged by, you know, concerted conspiracy to get a lot of non-citizens voting, the onus is on them to provide a lot of evidence of that," Prof. Gaines said. "I think that there are more safeguards than there were in the past, and it's just very unlikely to be a big, big factor."

VOTER GUIDE | Your Voice Your Vote 2024 ABC7 Chicago Election Guide

As part of a new law that aims to improve road safety and reduce discrimination, officials in the Secretary of State's office say they also implemented additional safeguards to ensure only eligible U.S. citizens can register to vote at the DMV.

A letter sent to election officials begins: "I'm writing to clarify some misinformation about a new law, which went into effect on July 1 that involves driver's licenses and voter registration procedures at Illinois DMV facilities."

The letter lays out expanded precautions, including "several more verification checks to ensure non-U.S. citizens cannot apply to vote."

SEE ALSO | Sentencing memo for Illinois man convicted in Jan. 6 riot warns of 'risk of another attack'

Prof. Gaines said it's up to individuals to do their own fact checking.

"I think it's putting the onus on the consumer, but you've got to pay attention to what kind of evidence is being advanced," Prof. Gaines said. "If this sounds plausible to me, but I don't see actually this person saying this providing any real proof that this is happening. I think everybody should be reading everything with a somewhat skeptical eye."

More than 30 million Americans have already voted early, according to the Election Lab at University of Florida.

It's illegal for non-U.S. citizens to vote in federal elections, and data shows voter fraud is incredibly rare. One audit found just 30 cases out of 23 million votes cast.

Election authorities said spreading misleading claims can undermine confidence in elections and some worry this could lay the groundwork for Trump potentially contesting the election if he loses.