Trump claims voting for “illegal aliens is common.” Republicans disagree.

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In public remarks, former President Donald Trump has repeatedly made baseless claims about the threat of popular vote by “illegal aliens” and noncitizens in the 2024 election.

But away from the spotlight, at least one Republican National Committee official is telling volunteer poll watchers a very different story: that such a vote is nearly impossible.

During a private training session for poll watchers in Pennsylvania on Oct. 29, an RNC election integrity specialist told volunteers not to worry about non-citizens voting in the 2024 election because the election system has safeguards in place to prevent illegal votes.

ProPublica conquered recording of the training session. The RNC official’s comments have not been previously reported.

Watch footage from the RNC elections training session:

The RNC official’s assurances contradict statements by Trump and his Republican allies warning of “illegal aliens” casting ballots this year and potentially swaying the outcome of the election in favor of Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris.

“It’s good to see an RNC official recognizing the truth, unlike the many lies from Trump and his allies about non-citizen voting,” said Rick Hasen, a professor and election law expert at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. “It would be even better if officials said it publicly.”

The RNC official who led the training session and an RNC spokesman did not respond to repeated requests for comment. Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to ProPublica that Democrats are “pushing foreigners to vote and influence the future of our country,” adding: “President Trump and the RNC will continue to fight to secure tomorrow’s election so that every American the voice is protected.”

Voting by non-citizens is illegal under federal law and this almost never happens. State and federal elections require voters to be U.S. citizens. Government election officials from both parties stressed that safeguards are in place across the country to prevent noncitizens from casting ballots.

But that doesn’t stop Trump and some of his most high-profile supporters from making baseless claims that foreigners are registering and voting in large numbers this year. “DEMOCRATS TRY TO “JACK” VOTER REGISTRATIONS WITH ILLEGAL ALIEN” – Trump published on Tru Social in September. Other prominent Trump supporters, including billionaire tech investor Elon Musk and House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana, have also done so amplified unfounded claims regarding Democrats wanting to “import” such voters.

But in practice, Trump’s party, at least in Pennsylvania, an important battleground state, is undermining these dark visions of illegal voting. During an Oct. 29 training session, Joe Neild, a member of the RNC’s state election integrity team, said such a scenario was almost impossible.

A training session participant asked Neild about the ability of non-citizens to vote in elections and what poll watchers can do to stop it.

Neild responded that in Pennsylvania, undocumented people cannot legally register to vote and therefore will not be included on the list of eligible voters used by precincts, called the poll books.

Here is the exchange:

Training participant: “I have two questions. The first one is: how do you know if they are illegal aliens or not, for example when voting, in terms of what you explained with the ID card? And if they came from another country, it was OK as long as they had ID. How do you know they are illegal aliens? How can you stop it?”

Neild: “Well, if they are illegal aliens, they won’t be counted in the polls. Because if they are illegal aliens, they won’t be able to register to vote because they will need a driver’s license number or a Social Security number.

“And since recent legal proceedings in recent years, you must provide proof of citizenship in order to obtain a driver’s license here in Pennsylvania. So this is one way they won’t be able to get a driving license.

“Then you must. Because they are illegal, they will not be able to obtain a Social Security number.”

Three election law experts reviewed the exchange between Neild and a trainee poll observer. They all said Neild’s description of the law and existing protections against non-citizen voting was accurate.

Adam Bonin, a Philadelphia election law attorney, said Neild provided a thorough description of Pennsylvania law and its protections against voting for noncitizens. Bonin said Neild’s comments were “totally consistent” with what Pennsylvania Republican Secretary of State Al Schmidt said about preventing noncitizens from voting.

“As has been the case before, Trump has local experts on his team who know what the law is here in Pennsylvania and who understand the reality of how our elections work,” Bonin said.

Justin Levitt, a professor at Loyola Law School and a voting rights expert who worked in the Obama and Biden administrations, said he praised Neild for using facts during the training session. Levitt added that he wasn’t surprised to hear Republican volunteers express concerns about non-citizens voting, given Trump’s campaign rhetoric.

“There was a very effective effort to mislead,” Levitt said. “But I’m glad that when the challenge comes and it’s time for real training, everything gets fixed.”

In addition to the registration hurdles that Neild highlighted, Levitt explained that there are clear incentives that discourage noncitizens from voting in U.S. elections. Criminal sanctions can include a hefty fine and prison sentence, as well as deportation and loss of future U.S. citizenship opportunities. Moreover, Levitt added, the act of voting itself creates a clear and obvious paper trail, making it much easier for law enforcement to bring criminal charges for illegal voting.

“You see foreigners on the lists every time,” he said. “It’s usually done by mistake because it’s just not worth it, and they’ll get caught, guaranteed.”

Levitt said he would just like to see the fact-based information provided by the RNC at the local level also reach the party’s presidential nominee. “It sounds like the former president should attend some sessions with people who train poll watchers,” Levitt said.