Elections and Government Reform

Proof of citizenship to register to vote

43 public statements from 2026 candidates · 2 related bills

§1The range of views

Why this matters: It affects how states confirm that voters are citizens, and how easily citizens who lack these documents, or whose names have changed since birth, can register.

Drafted by AI, then checked for neutral wording in a separate AI review. It describes the question and the main positions, not any candidate's view. Facts link to their sources.

Whether people must show documents such as a passport or birth certificate proving US citizenship when they register to vote, since only citizens may vote in federal elections; in 2026 the Supreme Court let a federal program that checks voters' citizenship against federal records keep running while a lawsuit against it goes on.1,2

  1. Require documents proving citizenship to register
  2. Check citizenship against government records instead of requiring documents
  3. Keep relying on applicants' sworn statement, under penalty of perjury, that they are citizens

These options describe policies, not people. The order is not a ranking.

§2What candidates have said

Why this matters: Statements candidates made publicly, summarized in plain words with a link to where they said it. Candidates who haven't spoken publicly on this issue aren't listed.

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

Require documents proving citizenship to register (13)

  • Robb Tucker CA-3
    His campaign website says he backs the SAVE Act, which it says would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.3
  • Peter Sundin Soulé CA-16
    His campaign website says Congress should pass the SAVE America Act requiring proof of citizenship and in-person voter registration.4
  • Michael "Dr. Mike" Katz DE Senate
    His campaign website says he supports the SAVE Act, which would require documentary proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate or passport, to register to vote in federal elections.5
  • John Cowan GA-11
    His campaign website says he would require proof of citizenship to vote, secure election infrastructure and demand full transparency in how ballots are cast and counted.6
  • Jeremy Todd KY-4
    His campaign website says he supports the SAVE Act, which it says requires proof of citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections.7
  • Julia Letlow LA Senate
    Her campaign website says she supports passing the SAVE America Act and requiring proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections.8
  • Michael Echols LA-5
    His campaign website says he supports the SAVE Act, which it describes as requiring proof of U.S. citizenship to register for federal elections.9
  • John Moolenaar MI-2
    His campaign website says the SAVE Act and the SAVE America Act, which he supports, would require proof of citizenship to vote.10
  • Brad Finstad MN-1
    His campaign website says he co-sponsored the SAVE Act, which it says would require people to prove their U.S. citizenship and identity when registering to vote in federal elections.11
  • Tom Emmer MN-6
    Its elections section says he supports the SAVE Act, which it says would require people to prove citizenship before they register and would require states to remove ineligible voters from their rolls.12
  • Michelle Fischbach MN-7
    Her page on the SAVE America Act says she has fought hard for the bill, which it says would make people show documents proving U.S. citizenship before registering to vote in federal elections and photo ID when voting, and would have states find noncitizens on their voter rolls and remove them.13
  • David Flippo NV-2
    His campaign website says he would pass the SAVE Act, and says voter ID and proof of citizenship are essential safeguards.14
  • Kevin Hern OK Senate
    His campaign website says he cosponsored the SAVE America Act, which it says would require proof of citizenship to register to vote, and that he would keep pushing for it in the Senate.15

Keep relying on applicants' sworn statement, under penalty of perjury, that they are citizens (1)

  • Mark Cohen NE-3
    His campaign website says the SAVE Act addresses a problem that barely exists, noting that every state already has voters attest to their citizenship and that voting fraud is extremely rare, argues it would keep some eligible citizens, including women who changed their names after marriage, from voting, and says he opposes it.16

Statements that don't match one option (29)

  • Jeff Wadlin AR Senate
    His campaign website says he supports the core goal of the SAVE Act that only citizens register and vote, but says any new citizenship-document requirement should be phased in with free documents, checks of existing records and time to fix errors.17
  • Robb Ryerse AR-3
    His campaign website opposes the Save America Act, saying it would make Americans pay fees for the documents they need to register to vote.18
  • Mai Vang CA-7
    Her campaign website says she will vote against the SAVE Act, which it says would keep millions of women who changed their names through marriage or divorce from voting.19
  • Ritesh Tandon CA-17
    His campaign website says only U.S. citizens should vote and supports secure voter verification standards, stronger voter-roll maintenance and citizenship verification where the law requires it.20
  • Scott Alan Meyers CA-30
    His campaign website says he supports legislation like the SAVE Act to ensure confidence in elections.21
  • Young Kim CA-40
    Her campaign website says she supported the SAVE Act to ensure that only American citizens vote.22
  • Sarah McBride DE-AL
    Her campaign website says she strongly opposes the SAVE America Act, which it says would create unnecessary barriers to voter registration for millions of eligible Americans.23
  • Joseph "Dr. Joe" Arminio DE-AL
    His campaign website says the SAVE America Act is fine as far as it goes but does not go far enough.24
  • Neil J. Gillespie FL Senate special
    In questionnaire answers posted on his campaign site, he says proof of citizenship is important for secure elections and suggests the State Department could keep the documents people need to prove citizenship.25,26
  • Mike Sell FL-4
    His campaign's platform calls for challenging what it calls proof-of-citizenship registration traps, and its bill tracker lists him as opposing Florida's law requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote.27,28
  • Ryan Elijah FL-7
    His campaign website says he strongly supports the Save America Act, which it says ensures that only American citizens can vote.29
  • Mike Haridopolos FL-8
    His campaign website says American elections should be decided by American citizens and that he supports the SAVE America Act and voter verification measures.30,31
  • Mike Beltran FL-14
    His campaign website says Congress should pass the SAVE America Act so that only American citizens vote, and that noncitizens should be purged from voter rolls.32
  • Casey Askar FL-22
    His campaign website says he supports immigration status verification to vote, so that only American citizens can vote.33
  • Lauren Jewett LA-1
    Her campaign website says she will oppose the SAVE America Act and similar requirements for documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote.34
  • Blake Miguez LA-6
    His campaign website lists proof of citizenship among his election integrity positions and says Congress needs to pass the SAVE America Act.35
  • Stephen Wagley LA-6
    His campaign website says he fully supports the SAVE America Act, which it describes as requiring proof of citizenship to vote.36
  • Heather Smiley MI-6
    Her campaign website says she supports ensuring and enforcing ballot security and limiting voting to legal U.S. citizens.37,38
  • Lydia Christensen MI Senate
    Her campaign website says she would oppose new voting documentation requirements that most citizens do not have on hand.39
  • Jordan Herrera MO-4
    His campaign website says he strongly opposes the SAVE Act, which it describes as requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote.40
  • Chris Stigall MO-6
    His campaign website says he supports the SAVE Act so that only U.S. citizens vote in federal elections.41
  • Josh Smead MO-6
    His campaign website lists continuing to keep the SAVE Act from passing.42
  • Alani Bankhead MT Senate
    Her campaign website opposes the SAVE Act's proof-of-citizenship document requirement, saying more than 21 million voting-age citizens lack ready access to those documents.43
  • Aaron Flint MT-1
    His campaign website says he would make sure that only US citizens are on voter rolls.44
  • Damon Galdo NJ-1
    His campaign website says voters in federal elections should have to prove they are U.S. citizens.45,46
  • Ramon Mora Jr. NJ-2
    Its voting security and access item lists adopting the concepts of the SAVE Act while having the government provide the required documents free of charge, with at least four years before the rules take effect.47
  • Teresa F. Benitez-Thompson NV-2
    Her campaign website says she opposes the SAVE Act and other efforts she describes as burdensome barriers to voter registration.48
  • Danielle Ford NV Governor
    Her campaign website says only eligible U.S. citizens should vote and that she supports secure elections, accurate voter rolls, identity checks and audits, but that any ID or document rule must be constitutional, paid for, accessible and phased in carefully so that eligible voters can still take part.49
  • Pat Dixon TX Governor
    His campaign website says the state needs to know that people registering to vote have residency and legal status, notes that some legal residents lack passports or driver's licenses, and suggests adding photos or other biometrics to voter registration cards.50

§3Related bills

Why this matters: Bills from 2023–2026 that bear on this issue, with how Congress handled them.