Unrest in Georgia: Heritage Foundation Causes Stir with Controversial Video

In the suburbs of Atlanta, a recently published video by the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation has caused significant unease. Two men posed as helpers for the Latino community and approached residents about their citizenship and voter registration in a large apartment complex in Norcross, Georgia. The entire event was secretly filmed. The subsequently released footage is intended to show that allegedly 14 percent of non-citizens in Georgia are illegally registered to vote – a claim made by the Heritage Foundation, which extrapolated the number to over 47,000 individuals. The video gained enormous traction when Elon Musk, the owner of the platform X, commented on it and labeled it as "extremely disturbing." Within a few days, it had garnered more than 56 million views. However, upon closer examination, the claims made by the Heritage Foundation appear to be on shaky ground. Three of the individuals shown in the video stated that their comments were misunderstood. State investigators found no evidence that the individuals depicted in the video were ever registered to vote. A spokesperson for Republican Brad Raffensperger, Georgia’s Secretary of State, called the video a "stunt." It was said to be one of several misleading clips that the Heritage Foundation has circulated on social media this year, including footage about supposed migrant voting in New York City, North Carolina, and Texas. At the center of this aggressive opinion-shaping effort is the Oversight Project, an arm of the Heritage Foundation that employs covert methods reminiscent of Project Veritas. Mike Howell, the project’s director, hinted at more "big revelations" in other states during a livestream, such as voter registration at the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. However, such investigations have yet to be released. Studies by renowned political think tanks such as the Brennan Center for Justice and the Cato Institute refute the notion that voter fraud by non-citizens occurs to any significant degree. Even the Heritage Foundation's own analysis found only 23 proven cases of non-citizen voting over the past 20 years. The actions and video of the Heritage Foundation have been used to sow concerns and doubts about the integrity of upcoming elections – particularly in the context of the next presidential election. Experts warn that such actions could be used to challenge election results in the event of a loss by Donald Trump. A spokesperson for the Georgia Secretary of State emphasized that no evidence of unlawful voter registrations has been found so far and aptly described Heritage’s efforts as a "stunt." Marta, one of the individuals shown in the video, stated that she feared potential consequences and had lied to get rid of the men. Critical voices from academia and politics continue to stand against this type of misinformation and the instrumentalized fears of the populace. They warn sternly about how easily such supposed revelations can undermine trust in democratic processes.