Florida lawmakers have passed legislation in both the State House and State Senate that requires proof of citizenship when registering to vote.
The legislation will not take effect before the midterm elections however, nor will there be any changes to the state’s excuse-free use of mail-in voting, despite Trump’s continued push in the SAVE Act to eliminate mail-in voting.
All Democrats voted against the legislation, while Republicans claim it restores “trust” and “integrity” to Florida elections, even while it is already illegal for noncitizens to vote in Florida, and in 2020, the prohibition was added to the state constitution.
Floridians will have to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote, such as by birth certificate or passport. Existing registered voters’ citizenship will be verified by government databases, such as Real ID, upon enactment. About 98% of residents have Real ID.
Local elections supervisors will contact voters by mail if no citizenship document shows up. The voter then will be required to bring proof of citizenship to their elections office.
The bill will also no longer allow voters to use either college IDs or those provided by retirement homes, saying those are too easy to fake.
“This is just saying to any out-of-state students or students in Florida who do not drive, ‘We do not want your vote,’” said Democratic State Senator Tina Polsky.
National studies have shown that requiring proof of citizenship across the country may end up affecting more Republicans. Red states in 2024 have the largest percentage of citizens without valid passports.