Experts are questioning a U.S. Census Bureau report claiming over 20,000 noncitizens voted in the 2020 presidential election, citing methodological flaws and a lack of transparency. The report, which states that around 24,000 noncitizens voted with "high confidence", was conducted by a team including individuals affiliated with the America First Policy Institute, a think tank started by officials from Donald Trump's administration. Former Census Bureau executive Amy O'Hara called the paper an "abuse of the agency's sterling reputation" and suggested that the data could be used for political gain. Experts estimate that even if all 24,000 votes were cast by noncitizens, it would account for less than 0.02% of total votes in 2020 and wouldn't have changed the election outcome.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-21,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
US President Donald Trump claims that over 24,000 noncitizens voted illegally in the 2020 election, citing an ongoing review by the US Census Bureau. He made this claim on his Truth Social platform, stating that the Census Bureau had checked voter records from 2020 against citizenship records and found "over 24,000 Noncitizens voted illegally!" Trump also said that the number of noncitizens who voted would likely increase to an even higher amount when more voters are reviewed. The claim is related to Trump's endorsement of a proposed law, the SAVE America Act, which aims to overhaul federal voting standards in the US by requiring physical proof of citizenship and photo identification at the ballot box. However, experts have questioned the accuracy of the Census Bureau's report, pointing out flaws in its methodology and suggesting that the analysis was conducted by individuals with ties to Trump's administration rather than career civil servants.
Written for “Trump Voting Allegations” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
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Leaning score -0.35 for article 1786 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-08-31
A U.S. Census Bureau report claiming more than 20,000 noncitizens voted in the 2020 presidential election has raised doubts over the impartiality of the influential but normally non-partisan agency.
asserted
noncitizens → claim → agency
Unproven allegations of widespread voter fraud — including the casting of ballots by noncitizens, which is illegal in federal elections — have been a cornerstone of U.S. President Donald Trump’s insistence that his loss to Joe Biden six years ago was unlawful.
asserted
loss → include → Biden
And the bureau’s analysis stating with “high confidence” that around 24,000 noncitizens voted in 2020 was pounced on by Trump as clear evidence to back his claims.
uncertain
noncitizens → state → claims
However, experts and former Census Bureau officials have raised serious doubts about the accuracy of the document, suggesting the methodology is flawed.
asserted
methodology → raise → document
Former Census Bureau senior executive Amy O’Hara called the paper an abuse of the agency’s “sterling reputation for high-quality analysis.”
asserted
O’Hara → call → analysis
She pointed to the lack of attribution and other “red flags on methods and research integrity.”
NPR reported that the analysis was not conducted by career civil servants, but rather by a team including individuals affiliated with the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), a think tank started by officials from Trump’s first administration.
asserted
analysis → point → administration
O’Hara, who is now director of the Massive Data Institute at Georgetown University, said it is “unthinkable that the carefully negotiated, curated and stewarded data could be exposed for political gain instead of statistical purpose.”
uncertain
data → say → gain
The Census Bureau and AFPI did not immediately reply to AFP requests for comment.
asserted
Bureau → reply → comment
The report compared federal administrative records that include immigration information with a nationwide voter file dataset provided by the Virginia-based business Data-Clear under a contract it won related to the 2030 census.
asserted
it → compare → census
Company president Carolyn Carlson told AFP: “The voter file records provided and delivered by Data-Clear did not contain an individual voter’s citizenship status.”
asserted
records → tell → status
She said Data-Clear played no role in the analysis, and that any questions about the methodology used should be directed to the Census Bureau.
asserted
questions → say → Bureau
If the data were collected at different times, for example, some of the information — especially on a fluid process like gaining U.S. citizenship — could be out-of-date, he explained.
“It would be a mistake for anybody to try to draw definite conclusions just based on the fact that two databases happen to match,” Morley told AFP.
The Census Bureau analysis however does not offer any disclaimer that further cross-checks are needed to determine the actual number of ballots cast by noncitizens.
uncertain
checks → collect → noncitizens
Experts said even if all 24,000 votes were proven to have been cast by noncitizens, that figure accounts for less than 0.02 per cent of the roughly 160 million votes in 2020 and would not have changed the outcome of the election.
asserted
figure → say → election
The records also cannot show who ballots were cast for, negating Trump’s implication that all of those votes went to his opponent.
asserted
all → show → opponent
