BREAKING: 🚨 House passed bill that requires proof of citizenship for voter registration.
— E X X ➠A L E R T S (@ExxAlerts) April 10, 2025
NEWS: The House just passed a bill that requires proof of citizenship for voter registration and states to remove non-citizens from voter rolls.
I voted YES to pass this bill.
Why did 208 Democrats vote against it? pic.twitter.com/SPU4oqX64Y
— Congressman Troy E. Nehls (@RepTroyNehls) April 10, 2025
The House of Representatives has passed a bill with a narrow 220-208 vote, signaling a sharp divide over election security. With full Republican support and a surprising four Democrats crossing party lines, the bill demands tighter restrictions on voter registration. This legislative push aims to enforce proof of U.S. citizenship for those wishing to vote in federal elections, a measure that will impact millions of Americans.
The bill mandates that voters provide solid evidence of their citizenship, including birth certificates, passports, or naturalization documents. This measure, aimed at reducing voter fraud, requires election officials to periodically audit voter rolls and remove non-citizens. This will add a layer of accountability but also create a logistical nightmare for states and local governments tasked with enforcement.
To ensure states meet the new requirements, the bill allocates $750 million in federal funding for the first year. While this sum sounds substantial, it’s important to consider the complexity of verifying citizenship status across a vast and diverse population. Many states, especially those with large immigrant populations, are already stretched thin. Additional funding might provide some relief, but the true cost of implementing this could far exceed initial estimates.
Further, the bill allows private citizens to sue election officials who fail to enforce the citizenship requirement. While this may be seen as a deterrent to lax enforcement, it opens the door to partisan challenges and could further politicize the already tense issue of election integrity.
As the bill heads to the Senate, it faces a significant hurdle: the filibuster. To pass, it will need 60 votes, which means it requires bipartisan support.
Sources:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/save-act-passes-house-know-190002087.html