For Most of U.S. History, 'Voting by Noncitizens Was the Norm,' Professor Hayduk Says

BUSTLE -- Noncitizens cannot vote in federal or state elections, as this is prohibited by federal law. However, this was not always the case. Newsweek reported that Ron Hayduk, a political scientist at San Francisco State University, said that from 1776 until 1926, 40 federal territories and states permitted noncitizens to vote in a myriad of elections, including those at the state and federal level.

“For most of America’s history and in the vast majority of the USA, voting by noncitizens was the norm, not the exception,” he told the publication. Hayduk added that he believes laws and perceptions about non-citizen voting changed after a surge in immigration in the early 1900s.