U.S. House of Representatives approves initiative requiring proof of citizenship to vote

The U.S. House of Representatives approved a citizenship test for registration on the electoral roll in a vote held on Wednesday. Th measure, strongly supported by Republicans, seeks to limit voter registration to American citizens amid a continued debate about election integrity.

The initiative, which is called the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility Act, was approved almost entirely along partisan lines, although it also had the support of five Democrats, underscoring the division that the hot button issue generates.

In total, 216 Republicans voted to pass the bill while 198 Democrats voted against it. The five Democrats who opposed the measure include Reps. Henry Cuellar of Texas, Don Davis of North Carolina, Jared Golden of Main, Vicente Gonzalez Jr. of Texas, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington state.

The future of the measure is uncertain, but is unlikely to advance in the Senate, where Democrats currently hold the majority.

President Biden’s administration has expressed strong opposition to the measure, arguing that adequate mechanisms already exist to prevent non-citizens from voting while Republicans have defended the need for such a requirement as a crucial step to ensure the security of the electoral system and integrity of democratic processes.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, one of the key supporters of the legislation, said the Democratic opposition reveals a desire to allow “illegals” to vote in federal elections, an accusation that Democrats categorically reject.

In a recent Wednesday speech, Johnson highlighted the importance of the measure as “a generation defining moment,” suggesting that even a small number of unlawful votes could significantly alter election results.

“If just a small percentage, a fraction of a fraction of all those illegals that Joe Biden has brought in here to vote, if they do vote, it wouldn’t just change one race,” he said. “It might potentially change all of our races.”

Johnson also suggested that Democrats were trying to obstruct the legislation on Monday, posting theoretical questions for the American public on his X social media account.

“Why are Democrats so adamantly against ensuring only American citizens vote in our elections? They want to turn illegal aliens into voters. We must pass the SAVE Act to prevent this.”

Noncitizens are prohibited to vote in federal elections, and it is not permitted in any statewide elections.

According to a report published by The Associated Press, research has demonstrated that noncitizens illegally registering and casting ballots in federal elections is rare.

“Research and audits in several states show there have been incidences of noncitizens who successfully registered to vote and cast ballots, but it happens rarely and is typically by mistake. States have mechanisms to check for it, although there isn’t one standard protocol they all follow,” a July 10 report says.

Investigations and audits in several states have revealed cases of non-citizens registering and voting.

This week, Trump’s statements on his Truth Social platform urged Republicans to pass the measure “or go home and cry yourself to sleep.”

The debate over this measure reflects a deep polarization in the American political landscape, where electoral security and immigration are intertwined as key points of contention.

Meanwhile, the Democratic opposition is focused on defending voter rights and preventing unnecessary barriers to voter registration.

Rep. Vincente Gonzalez, one of the Democrats who voted for the Republican legislation, said he only did so because it would never pass in the Senate.

“It’s not going anywhere,” Gonzalez said, who represents a highly contested border district in Texas. “It’s just another Republican messaging bill.”

The majority of Democrats have said the legislation is unnecessary because it is already a felony crime for noncitizens to register to vote in federal elections.

Such violations are punishable by deportation, fines, and even incarceration. A prospective voter who registers must swear under penalty of perjury that they are a U.S. citizen.

Noncitizens also are also barred from casting ballots on a state level. A small number of municipalities permit them to vote in specific local elections.

Still, Republicans supporting the legislation say the recent wave of illegal migration has created too much opportunity for noncitizens to cast ballots that could impact the upcoming elections in November.

“Every illegal vote cancels out the vote of a legal American citizen,” said Rep. Bryan Steil of Wisconsin, the Republican chair of the House Administration Committee.

Rep. Greg Pence, the brother of former Republican Vice President Mike Pence brother also spoke out I favor of the legislation.

“One of our most fundamental rights as U.S. citizens is the right to vote in federal elections,” Pence said in a post-vote statement. “Letting illegal immigrants vote should not even be a question, and I joined my colleagues in voting yes to ensure that privilege stays with the American people alone.”

In 2022, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, conducted a voter roll audit and determined that 1,634 non-citizens tried to register to vote over a 25 year period, but that election officials were able to prevent them from doing so.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose also identified 137 noncitizens on the state rolls and said he would remove them.

In 2016, a North Carolina audit of elections found that 41 legal immigrants who had not yet become citizens successfully cast ballots