Lawmaker files bill requiring proof of citizenship to vote

TYLER – Senate Bill 16, which was filed by East Texas State Sen. Bryan Hughes on March 11, requires proof of citizenship when registered to vote. According to our news partner KETK, the Texas Senate Committee on State Affairs passed the bill and now it will head to the full Senate chamber for discussion.

“Senate Bill 16 says we’re going to require proof of citizenship when you register to vote,” Hughes, a Republican representing Mineola in the Texas State Senate, said.

The League of Women Voters stated that this proposal could hinder more than a million Texans by making it more challenging to vote.

“The right to vote is one of the most basic promises of our democracy. When you think in terms of a democratic government, every person is considered equal and is empowered to both participate in their government,” president of the Tyler/Smith County League of Women Voters, Rubye Kendrick said.

If the law passes, a person who wants to vote must submit an application and prove their citizenship with a passport or birth certificate.

“When you think about it from a female perspective, when you are married, your birth certificate does not have your married name on it. It definitely would be an area that would be disenfranchising to citizens,” Kendrick said.

Similar bills filed at the state and federal levels have received pushback because it is against the law for non-citizens to vote.

“Washington is talking about changing the law. There’s a bill called the SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship when you register to vote. We hope they pass that, but we’re not waiting on Washington,” Hughes said.

On March 25, President Trump signed an executive order that mandates a check of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. The order is expected to meet challenges in the courts.