As Republicans prepare to vote on Wednesday, they aim to link a temporary funding bill with stricter voter ID requirements, which aligns with the sentiments of many Americans, according to a recent DailyMail.com poll.

The survey reveals that 48% of likely voters suspect noncitizens are casting ballots in U.S. elections, with 45% willing to endorse a government shutdown to address this concern.

Conversely, 27% of respondents oppose the idea of a shutdown over this issue.

This poll, conducted by J.L. Partners with 1,000 participants, sheds light on a significant point of contention in the upcoming 2024 election.

Republicans argue that new legislation is necessary to safeguard electoral integrity, especially after witnessing a surge in illegal immigration at the southern border.

J.L. Partners polled 1000 likely voters for their views on noncitizens voting. Some 45 percent said the issue was important enough to justify a government shutdown

Yet, it is important to note that federal law already prohibits noncitizens from voting, and there is no substantial evidence indicating this is a widespread problem.

Yet Republican lawmakers are putting their weight behind the issue. House Speaker Mike Johnson has now linked it to a temporary spending bill to keep the government open beyond Oct. 1. 

‘I urge all of my colleagues to do what the overwhelming majority of the people of this country rightfully demand and deserve—prevent non-American citizens from voting in American elections,’ he said Tuesday, a day before the vote.

Even if it passes the House it sets up a clash with the Senate, where Democrats control the chamber and are opposed to linking a spending bill to voter requirements. They say it amounts to voter suppression. 

The poll results suggest the Republican messaging is resonating with voters.

Some 34 percent said they believed noncitizens were voting in their state (18 percent said they thought it was definitely true, and 16 percent probably true) and the same proportion said they believed it was happening in their local area (17 percent definitely and 27 percent probably).

Even 30 percent of people planning to vote for Democratic nominee Kamala Harris said it was enough of a problem to justify a government shutdown.

Republicans insist that legislation is required to protect the legitimacy of the vote after years of unprecedented illegal immigration at the southern border

House Speaker Mike Johnson has paired a stopgap funding bill with new voting restrictions aimed at preventing noncitizens from voting (even though they are already banned)

‘The idea of non-citizens voting gets an instinctive reaction from most Americans: no way,’ said James Johnson, co-founder of J.L. Partners. 

‘Voters think it probably happens, and they strongly dislike the idea. So much so that likely voters even support a government shutdown over the issue. 

‘With Speaker Mike Johnson bringing the issue to a vote in Congress, he may not get the votes needed in the House—but he and other representatives can take heart from the fact that Americans are on his side.’

Americans in general are strongly opposed to noncitizens voting. In total, 66 percent said they should not be allowed to vote.

However, as it often does, Gen Z breaks against the consensus. Some 45 percent said they were in favor of noncitizens voting, compared with 29 percent opposed.

The results carry a three percent margin of error.

The issue has been pushed repeatedly by former President Donald Trump 

He posted recently that election security should be tied to bills to fund the government

Complicating the issue is former President Donald Trump, who has been outspoken in pushing the idea of using a shutdown as leverage to push through the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. 

‘I would shut down the government in a heartbeat if they don’t get it,’ he said recently.

It would require anyone signing up to vote to provide proof of citizenship and force states to purge suspected noncitizens from voter rolls. 

Johnson traveled to Florida on Sunday to discuss the issue with Trump.