By Daniel Perreault
Senate Bill 16 would apply to both new and currently registered voters, and restrict those without proof of citizenship to only voting in congressional elections.
AUSTIN, Texas — On Thursday, the Texas Senate State Affairs Committee heard hours of testimony on several election bills, including one that would impact all Texas voters.
Senate Bill 16 would require Texans to prove their citizenship before voting in state, local and presidential elections.
The bill would apply to new and existing voters who didn’t provide proof of citizenship when they registered. To register, Texans would need to show a U.S. Passport, birth certificate or naturalization papers. Voters who cannot verify their citizenship will only be eligible to vote in federal elections, except for the presidential race.
Supporters of the bill say it is a matter of election security, while opponents call it a solution in search of a problem since noncitizen voting is already illegal and rarely happens. Some opponents testified that it is making a mountain out of a molehill.
“There are serious criminal penalties in place for noncitizens casting a vote in the state and this country,” David Weinberg with the Brennan Center for Justice said. “So, as a basic premise, this bill is not needed. We have systems in place to ensure people register our citizens to vote. What this bill does is it places a burden, and it may disenfranchise many Texas citizens.”
Last year, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Texas had removed more than 6,500 noncitizens from its voter rolls since 2021.
Under Senate Bill 16, authored by State Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola), voters who don’t provide proof of citizenship would be placed on a separate voter roll. They would be able to cast ballots in United States House and Senate races but not for President.
“The mound that this bill asks you to climb is not high. It’s not a big hurdle,” Ken Moore, who testified in favor of the bill, said. “It is very well worth our efforts to secure our elections, to ensure that only those here legally vote.”
The bill would also direct the Texas Secretary of State’s office to send counties data by the end of the year of voters who had not provided proof of citizenship.
Read the full article at kvue.com.
March 20, 2025.
