Social media posts allege a 2016 clip shows Barack Obama encouraging noncitizens to vote in the 2016 election. The claim that Barack Obama encouraged noncitizens to vote is false.

The viral clip is edited to omit context in which he urges eligible voters, including Latino citizens, to cast ballots. The clip originates from a video posted by mitú in which Gina Rodriguez interviewed him.

Gina Rodriguez asked him if voting would reveal information to immigration authorities about the voter or their family. He responded by clarifying the citizenship requirement for voting.

"Not true. And the reason is, first of all, when you vote, you are a citizen yourself," he said. He further explained the legal impossibility of noncitizens voting in federal elections.

He stated that individuals present at polling places cannot be prevented from voting if they are eligible. "If you want to vote and you show up at your polling place, they can’t stop you from voting," he said.

In the full interview, he stated that efforts to make voting difficult have historically targeted African Americans. This context addresses concerns about voter access rather than eligibility for noncitizens.

A 1996 U.S. law makes it illegal for noncitizens to vote in elections for president or members of Congress. Violations of the federal law prohibiting noncitizen voting in federal elections can result in fines, imprisonment for up to one year, and deportation.

Voter registration requires individuals to confirm under penalty of perjury that they are U.S. citizens. Federal law requires states to regularly maintain voter rolls and remove ineligible voters.

Multiple studies and investigations in individual states have found that noncitizens casting ballots in federal elections is exceedingly rare. No state constitutions explicitly allow noncitizens to vote.

Many states have laws prohibiting noncitizens from voting for state offices such as governor or attorney general. These legal frameworks reinforce the federal prohibition on noncitizen voting.

The circulation of edited clips creates confusion regarding voter eligibility and the integrity of election administration. Fact-checks clarify that the former president was addressing eligible citizens, not advocating for illegal voting by noncitizens. Understanding the full context of the interview distinguishes between efforts to increase turnout among eligible voters and violations of federal law.

Legal statutes and state-level protections provide multiple layers of verification to prevent noncitizen voting. The rarity of such violations, as documented by studies, contrasts with the viral nature of the misleading clip. This discrepancy shows the importance of verifying source material before drawing conclusions about electoral processes.