US House approves bill to ban non-citizens from voting in federal elections

House approves measure based on claims that people who have crossed US-Mexico border illegally could cast ballots

The Republican-controlled US House of Representatives, fueled by Donald Trump's false claims about election fraud, approved a bill on Wednesday that would ban non-citizens from registering to vote in federal elections, a rare practice that is already illegal.

Less than four months before Trump's 5 November election showdown with Democratic president Joe Biden, the House voted 221-198 to approval the measure, which is based on claims that people who have crossed the US-Mexico border illegally could cast ballots in this year's presidential and congressional elections.