COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Citizenship documents needed to vote in U.S. elections have failed to pass Congress. blocked by courtSo allies in President Donald Trump’s administration are pursuing other avenues to try to impose the idea. Little-known federal agencies To do that.
The independent U.S. Election Assistance Commission received more than 380,000 public comments responding to the petition adding this requirement by its deadline earlier this week. The proposal is being promoted by America First Legal, a conservative group co-founded by the United States. stephen millerChief of Staff to the Republican President.
The group is asking a committee of two Republicans and two Democrats to add the requirement to federal voter registration forms. The report states that requiring citizens to provide proof of citizenship is “essential to increasing the integrity and credibility of the voter registration process and ensuring that only eligible U.S. citizens can register and vote in federal elections.” A group of U.S. Republican senators and congressmen called it a “simple, common-sense reform,” little different from presenting an ID to board a plane or open a bank account.
Voting rights groups have characterized such requirements as unnecessary, onerous and a potential tool to disenfranchise voters.
Non-citizen voting is illegal and extremely rare
The bet against the Washington-based election commission is the latest effort by conservatives to advocate for citizens’ rights while pushing national certification requirements. Fear of non-referendum Seriously, if that’s the case, very rare. Claiming non-citizen voting is Key parts of the Republican strategy Even if it is during the 2024 presidential election period, Already illegal and is punished as a serious crime.
Petition to Election Assistance Commission to be filed after President Trump tried to force Agencies enact similar provisions Executive Order Regarding Elections He published in March. The order was temporarily blocked by two federal courts, which found the measure exceeded the president’s authority and was unconstitutional. The Constitution gives states and Congress the power to set election rules.
In its petition, America First Legal dismissed these losses, saying, “While this premise remains challenged in court, the Commission remains free to take common-sense electoral integrity steps of its own accord.”
What does the federal voter form require?
Federal voter forms already require registrants to verify their U.S. citizenship under penalty of perjury. Violating this is a felony that can result in jail time, fines, and deportation. Congress deemed that approach appropriate when it approved the Help America Vote Act of 2002, which created the commission.
The commission has discretion to change the format, but there is disagreement over whether it can unilaterally impose such significant new requirements on voters nationwide. The commission’s spokesperson is on vacation during the period. federal government shutdown He did not respond to requests for comment.
America First Legal told the commissioners it had sufficient authority to act under the provisions of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. But Jonathan Diaz, director of voting advocacy and partnerships at the Campaign Legal Center, said election officials must first determine that a citizenship documentation request is “necessary” to determine a person’s eligibility.
“In my opinion, it’s one thing to ask for information; it’s another to ask for additional documentation or evidence beyond the information that the form collects,” he said.
Impact of non-referendum
Susannah Goodman, director of election security for the good government group Common Cause, said there are cases like this: Non-citizens voting in US elections It remains “very rare” because the risks outweigh the benefits.
“I don’t believe this is the problem they’re trying to solve because the consequences of doing that are so great and civil rights are so precious. The numbers don’t prove that,” she said. “Our democracy will not be threatened by the votes of non-citizens.”
America First Legal said in its petition that enforcement of perjury clauses is “nearly non-existent” and that a system that is “entirely dependent on applicant honesty” is a recipe for fraud. The organization did not respond to requests for an interview.
“States rely on a broken ‘trust but not verify’ system of voter registration,” Justin Riemer, president of the nonprofit Restoring Election Integrity and Trust, which submitted public comments in support of the proposal, said in a statement. “EAC registration forms tie the hands of states that want only their citizens to be able to register and vote. That has to change.”
Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California and Rep. Joseph Morrell of New York, vocal supporters of voting rights, said there was no need to add such a requirement.
“States already have multiple systems in place to ensure that only eligible Americans can vote in elections. States already determine the citizenship status of voters without the onerous requirements requested in the petition,” he said in comments to the committee.
Laws imposing proof of citizenship requirements — Conservation method — passed the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this year but stalled in the Senate, facing bipartisan opposition. Similar initiatives have also encountered obstacles in their implementation. in the state.
What forms of identification are accepted?
America First Legal’s petition lists four types of documents that meet the requirements. A state-issued REAL ID-compliant driver’s license that shows citizenship status. Military ID indicating citizenship status. or a valid federal or state photo ID showing citizenship or “with proof of U.S. citizenship attached.”
Of the four, the passport is the only universally trusted and eligible form of identification, yet only about half of Americans have one. Only five states offer REAL ID driver’s licenses that indicate citizenship, and military IDs are often not offered. If you use other forms of federal and state photo ID that do not indicate citizenship, you will need to present other documents not listed, such as a birth certificate.
Diaz, of the Campaign Legal Center, said women who change their last name when they get married could be asked to show their birth certificate, marriage certificate or valid government identification. It was shown that a barrier for some women They voted in the New Hampshire primary earlier this year, which first imposed a similar requirement.
“It’s just creating hurdle after hurdle for eligible Americans to vote,” Diaz said.
The committee’s next step is to consider the comments and decide by majority vote whether to proceed with the petition. Once approved, there will be a more formal process, including another comment period and public hearing.
