Election Integrity in Focus: Watchdog Warns of Foreign Funding, Noncitizen Voting Ahead of Midterms

EXCLUSIVE: With control of Congress and the trajectory of key policies at stake in the upcoming midterms, election integrity has returned to the forefront of legislative agendas. The Honest Elections Project (HEP), a conservative advocacy group, is urging state lawmakers to address what it describes as critical vulnerabilities that could undermine public trust in the electoral process.

In a report obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital, HEP outlines 14 areas of concern, arguing that the final legislative sessions before the 2026 elections present a closing window for action. The group is pushing a suite of model bills designed to tighten rules around campaign funding and voter eligibility.

A primary focus is the flow of foreign money into U.S. ballot initiatives. While federal law prohibits foreign contributions to candidate campaigns, HEP notes a loophole allowing foreign entities to fund state and local ballot measure committees. The report cites hundreds of millions in foreign-linked funds influencing measures in 26 states, labeling the tactic a "Trojan Horse for foreign influence" potentially involving adversarial nations.

"The integrity of our ballot measures is just as vital as that of our candidate elections," said Jason Snead, Executive Director of HEP. "Allowing foreign funds here creates a backdoor for influence that federal law intended to block."

To counter this, HEP proposes the Prohibiting Foreign Funding from Ballot Measures Act, which would ban direct and indirect foreign donations to such initiatives and impose stringent disclosure requirements and penalties.

Another significant concern raised is the movement in several municipalities—including Washington, D.C., and New York City—to extend local voting rights to noncitizens. HEP argues that ambiguous language in many state constitutions, which grant voting rights to "every" or "any" citizen, leaves room for legal challenges that could expand this practice. The group advocates for constitutional amendments explicitly restricting voting to U.S. citizens, a measure already passed in over a dozen states.

Further complicating the issue, HEP points to the federal mail voter registration form, which relies on an honor system for applicants to affirm citizenship. In response, the group is promoting the Documentary Proof of Citizenship Act, which would require tangible proof of citizenship for state and local elections and establish criminal penalties for noncitizens who register to vote or officials who accept such registrations.

HEP's broader legislative package includes five additional model bills addressing voter roll maintenance, election audits, and restricting private funding for election administration.

"Many states have made tremendous strides in making it easy to vote and hard to cheat in recent years, but there is still more work to be done," Snead stated. "This is a roadmap for shoring up laws before a critical election cycle."

The push comes amid heightened partisan scrutiny of election systems and could fuel ongoing debates over voting access versus security in statehouses across the country.

Voices from the Electorate

Michael R., Small Business Owner (Ohio): "It's common sense. Voting is a right and responsibility of citizenship. Closing these loopholes isn't about making it harder to vote; it's about ensuring every legal vote counts and isn't diluted. HEP's proposals seem like a reasonable baseline."

David Chen, Policy Analyst (Virginia): "While preventing foreign interference is paramount, some of these proposals risk creating unnecessary barriers for eligible voters, particularly naturalized citizens who may face documentation hurdles. The focus should be on modernizing and securing systems, not reverting to overly restrictive measures."

Sarah Jenkins, Retired Teacher (Florida): "This feels like a solution in search of a problem. Noncitizen voting in federal elections is already illegal and extremely rare. This report seems designed to stoke fear ahead of an election rather than address real, widespread issues like aging voting infrastructure or cybersecurity threats."

Mark Torrence, Former Election Official (Colorado): "The foreign money angle is a legitimate, bipartisan concern that deserves attention. However, mandating documentary proof of citizenship at the state level could create a costly, fragmented system. Federal reform of the registration process would be a more coherent approach."