U.S. Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi and Senator Katie Britt of Alabama have introduced the Citizen Ballot Protection Act, a bill aimed at allowing states to require proof of American citizenship for individuals registering to vote by mail in federal elections.
Senator Wicker stated, “The right to vote is a sacred American value. For too long, cities across the U.S. have allowed noncitizens to vote in elections. Ensuring that United States citizens are the only people voting is a commonsense provision that will promote election integrity.”
Senator Britt added, “Voting in our country is a sacred right that must solely be limited to American citizens. To allow States to uphold this principle should be simple commonsense. It should not be controversial that States have the legal right to prevent noncitizens – including illegal aliens and official representatives of foreign adversaries – from voting in State and Federal elections. Cities that allow noncitizens to vote in local elections disenfranchise hardworking American citizens, insult those American citizens who came to our country legally and took the time and effort to go through the citizenship process, and undermine faith in our entire electoral system – which is a cornerstone of our nation that we cannot allow to crumble. I’m proud to work with Representative Palmer and my Senate colleagues to ensure that we pass this legislation and stand up for the right of Americans – and only Americans – to vote in American elections.”
Other senators supporting the bill include Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Deb Fischer (R-Nebr.), and John Boozman (R-Ark.).
Recent changes in some U.S. cities have allowed noncitizens who meet certain residency requirements—such as those living for more than 30 days in Washington, D.C.—to participate in local elections. Similar measures have been adopted by municipalities in Maryland, Vermont, and New York.
Under current law, states oversee federal elections but must follow guidelines set out by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (“motor voter law”). This act requires states to accept federal mail-in voter registration forms created by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission but also allows them to develop their own forms if they meet federal standards.
The proposed Citizen Ballot Protection Act would amend existing law so states could explicitly require documentary proof of citizenship on both federal and state mail-in voter registration forms.
Currently, efforts by some states seeking such requirements have faced obstacles due both to interpretations by courts and decisions from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission regarding what constitutes permissible authentication under federal law.
