Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.), a member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, took the lead on Tuesday in presenting the Citizen Ballot Protection Act alongside fellow Republicans on the committee. This legislative move mirrors the earlier introduction of H.R.4316 by Representative Gary Palmer (AL-06) and aims to provide States with enhanced tools to verify the citizenship of individuals participating in federal elections.
The proposed legislation, slated to be in effect from December 14th, 2023, until August 2024, focuses on allowing States to mandate proof of American citizenship when registering to vote via mail-in applications. The bill, if passed, would formalize the States’ authority to implement this requirement.
Senator Katie Britt underscored the importance of limiting voting rights to American citizens, stating, “Voting in our country is a sacred right that must solely be limited to American citizens. To allow States to uphold this principle should be simple commonsense.” She expressed concern about certain cities permitting noncitizens to vote in local elections, emphasizing the potential disenfranchisement of American citizens and the undermining of faith in the electoral system.
Representative Gary Palmer echoed these sentiments, stating, “The American people deserve an election system with impeccable integrity.” He welcomed Senator Britt’s collaboration in offering a solution to protect the voting rights of American citizens, emphasizing the potential for fraud and the need to restore faith in the election process.
The legislation’s original co-sponsors from the Senate Rules Committee include Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Senate Rules Committee Ranking Member Deb Fischer (R-Nebr.), and Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), and Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.).
The need for such legislation has been prompted by recent changes in Washington, D.C., which will allow noncitizens who have been residents for more than 30 days to vote in local elections starting in 2024. Similar measures have been implemented in cities in Maryland, Vermont, and New York in recent years.
H.R.4316, the companion bill to the Citizen Ballot Protection Act, received a favorable report from the Committee on House Administration on November 30.
The legislation addresses concerns related to the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) of 1993, specifically Section 6, which dictates registration requirements for federal elections. The Citizen Ballot Protection Act aims to clarify and modify the NVRA, explicitly allowing States to implement a proof of citizenship requirement for mail voter registration forms.
The issue gained attention in a 2013 Supreme Court ruling that Arizona could not require documentary proof of citizenship on the federal registration form without U.S. Election Assistance Commission approval. The Citizen Ballot Protection Act seeks to rectify this interpretation, ensuring States have the autonomy to include a proof of citizenship requirement in voter registration procedures.
If passed, the two-page Citizen Ballot Protection Act would provide States with the legal authority to safeguard the integrity of voter registrations, addressing concerns related to citizenship without compromising the essential aspects of the electoral process.
