By Alex Driggars/Austin American-Statesman
Senate Bill 16 would require voters to provide documents proving their citizenship to vote in state and local elections.
Voting rights advocates are concerned that a proposal by Republicans in the Legislature to require proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote could disenfranchise more than a million Texans by making it more difficult — and potentially more expensive — to access elections.
Though state and federal law already prohibits noncitizens from voting, Senate Bill 16 by Mineola Republican Sen. Bryan Hughes would require voters to prove their citizenship to their local voter registrar. The bill would create a bifurcated voter registration system and would require applicants and already-registered voters to provide a document like a birth certificate, passport or naturalization certificate to be eligible to cast a ballot in state or local elections. If a voter does not provide citizenship documents, they would be able to vote only in federal races.
Meanwhile, an executive order signed last week by President Donald Trump aims to mandate citizenship checks to vote in federal elections. The order is expected to face significant legal challenges and could complicate discussions around the Texas proposal, according to voting rights experts.
Read the full article in the Austin-American Statesman.
March 31, 2025.
