Voter fraud is an issue in every state in the country, including Arizona. Arizona is fighting against this problem, and cites illegal immigrants casting ballots as a part of the fraud. It can be punishable by different consequences, it is a serious offense, and the state swears that illegal immigrants are a large part of it, although evidence suggests otherwise.
But when state officials are pushed for details, the numbers of actual cases and convictions vary and the descriptions of the alleged fraud become foggy or based on third-hand accounts. An examination of voter-fraud cases in Maricopa County shows those involving illegal immigrants are nearly non-existent and have been since before the changes to voter-ID requirements were enacted in 2004. There have been at least 34 cases since January 2005 in which a suspect was charged with a felony related to voter fraud. Of these, two of the suspects were in the country illegally and 12 were not citizens but were living in the U.S. legally. The non-citizens come from around the world and have been living legally in the U.S. for decades. Several thought they were permitted to vote because they were legal permanent residents. None was convicted of a felony or given any jail time. A couple of the cases were dismissed; the other suspects pleaded guilty to misdemeanors and served a few months of probation. Eighteen of the cases involved convicted felons who had lost the right to vote. In several of the cases, the felons told the court no one had ever explained to them that they no longer could vote even after serving their time. One said he was sent an early ballot in the mail and thought he was permitted to vote. Although it is still illegal for a non-U.S. citizen to vote, Arizona thinking that most of the voter fraud is coming from illegal immigrants is not true. You can find out more information here.