Western New York Politics
News and Opinion on Politics in Western New York and Elsewhere
Tenney and the GOP Voter Suppression Strategy
Despite rhetoric from NY-24’s representative, data shows voter fraud is vanishingly rare. Her proposed fix could disenfranchise millions of legal voters, especially women.
Truth and Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY24) aren’t exactly on speaking terms. Though, to be fair, she seems to be getting along just fine without it—especially in her role as co-chair of the House Election Integrity Caucus, where she’s made a pastime of attacking Democrats for opposing the SAVE Act, a.k.a. the Voter Suppression Act.
Among Tenney’s many false statements:
- “It’s pretty incredible to me that this is what they [Democrats] continue to do is to really undermine our sacred right to vote, undermine the right of citizens.“ Fox News
- “The Democrats are attempting to undermine our elections by allowing non-citizens to vote, which dilutes the voice of American citizens.“ whoscounting.us+4YouTube+4New York Post+4
- “The Democrats claim they are defending democracy, but they are trying to allow illegal immigrants to vote!“ X (formerly Twitter)
- “I used to be cynically saying are the Democrats trying to register voters? Well guess what, we know they are.“ Mediaite
- “Democrats oppose the SAVE Act because they want the millions of illegal immigrants they have allowed into our country to be able to vote and sway our elections. This is an insult to every single American.“ Instagram+4Representative Claudia Tenney+4Beth Van Duyne+4
Besides insulting hundreds of thousands of Democrats in her own district, Tenney’s statements don’t make sense.
Tenney Attacks Voting Rights with the SAVE Act
In recent months, Tenney emerged as one of the most vocal proponents of the SAVE Act and of voter suppression. This Republican-backed bill would require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections. Falsely framing the SAVE Act as a defense against election interference by noncitizens, Tenney claims that voter rolls across the country are vulnerable and that urgent action is needed to preserve election integrity. Not true.
“The SAVE Act is commonsense legislation to ensure that only American citizens vote in American elections,” Tenney posted on X (formerly Twitter) in March 2025. “Democrats want open borders and open ballots. We must stop this madness.”
Tenney’s not telling the truth. The idea behind the SAVE Act—that voter fraud, particularly by noncitizens, is rampant – has been thoroughly debunked by election officials, federal judges, independent audits, and even conservative legal scholars. Rather than safeguarding democracy, the SAVE Act makes it harder for legitimate voters—including Tenney’s own constituents—to cast their ballots. The SAVE Act is the VOTER SUPPRESSION ACT.
Voter Fraud Is Almost Nonexistent
Despite years of Republican claims, voter fraud in the United States is exceedingly rare. The nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice found the rate of voter fraud ranges between 0.0003% and 0.0025%.
“It’s just not a problem in any statistical sense,” said Justin Levitt, a former DOJ official and law professor, in The Washington Post. “The idea that voter fraud is rampant is the true danger—it erodes trust without cause.”
Justin Levitt, a former Department of Justice official and a law professor, identified just 31 credible cases of voter impersonation out of more than 1 billion votes cast from 2000 to 2014. And Trump’s own Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, formed in 2017, disbanded without identifying any systemic fraud. The commission’s Democratic member, Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap, later revealed that the commission’s internal documents showed a predetermined conclusion unsupported by facts. “They were trying to prove a narrative that simply wasn’t supported by facts.”
Reality may not be invited to the party, but Tenney’s story plays great on Fox News. It’s all part of the GOP’s master plan to chip away at voting rights, one manufactured crisis at a time.
Court Cases and Audits Confirm the Integrity of U.S. Elections
Following the 2020 election, the fraud narrative was tested under legal scrutiny—and it collapsed. Over 60 lawsuits filed by the Trump campaign and its allies were thrown out by courts across the country, including by Republican-appointed judges.
In Pennsylvania, U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann—a conservative Federalist Society member—dismissed Trump’s claims as a “Frankenstein’s monster” of legal theory “unsupported by evidence.”
In Georgia, where Republicans control both the executive and legislative branches, officials conducted three recounts in the 2020 election, including a full hand audit of every ballot. No election fraud was found.
“There is no widespread fraud. It’s simply not there,” said Gabriel Sterling, a top Georgia Republican election official.
The SAVE Act Is Voter Suppression
While the SAVE Act addresses a non-existent threat of voter fraud, it is a real threat to voters. It will make it more difficult for the elderly, low-income individuals and rural residents to vote.
According to the Brennan Center, millions of Americans lack the documents the SAVE Act will require, so they won’t be able to vote.
It will be particularly difficult for voters in rural areas like Tenney’s 24th Congressional District. Access to birth certificates, wedding licenses, or passports is difficult.
Who knows where their original birth certificate is? Or their wedding license? Or who has a passport? Most people don’t have these documents because they’ve never had to produce them. If the SAVE Act becomes law—and it has already passed the House—people will have to have these documents to vote.
Tenney’s Strategy Is the GOP’s Voter Suppression Strategy
If there’s no evidence of fraud, why is Tenney pushing so hard for the SAVE Act?
One explanation comes from Stuart Stevens, a longtime Republican strategist. He said, “This isn’t about securing elections—it’s about restricting who gets to vote. When you can’t win over a majority of voters, you try to shrink the electorate.” Republicans are in the minority in most areas. They need to disqualify people likely to vote against them to win elections. They need voter suppression. The SAVE Act is carefully crafted to “enrich” the voter pool toward Republican voters and away from Democratic voters.
Another explanation is unquestioning loyalty to Donald Trump – a litmus test for Republicans. Unquestioning loyalty includes embracing claims of voter fraud.
Tenney has repeatedly aligned herself with Trump and the far-right flank of the GOP. She uses the SAVE Act as a political weapon against Democrats. Tenney falsely claims that, “Democrats want illegal immigrants voting in your elections. The SAVE Act is how we stop them.”
No Democratic leader wants noncitizens to vote in federal elections. Its illegal and it won’t help them win elections.
Statements like Tenney’s sow distrust and fear. Recent history shows that distrust can have deadly consequences. On January 6, 2021, disinformation about election fraud culminated in a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Lies like Tenney’s laid the foundation for the insurrection.
Voter Confidence Requires Truth
There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in Western New York. Our elections are well-administered, transparent, and secure. Rep. Tenney’s SAVE Act does not solve problems; it creates new ones. The SAVE Act is the VOTER SUPPRESSION ACT.
Voter fraud is already illegal, exceedingly rare, and vigorously prosecuted. What’s far more dangerous is legislation that casts doubt on legitimate voters and disenfranchises millions of people.
Tenney’s constituents in NY24 deserve better. They deserve a representative who protects their rights. They don’t deserve someone who undermines their access to the ballot box. Remember that when Tenney comes up for re-election.
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