New Citizenship Verification Rules in Florida and Mississippi

Voters in Florida and Mississippi are set to encounter new citizenship verification processes after bills were signed by the governors of both states on Wednesday. This legislation has already led to at least two lawsuits in Florida.

Designed to uphold election integrity, the measures were enacted by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, particularly as a similar initiative from former President Donald Trump remains stalled in Congress.

The Mississippi bill is scheduled to take effect on July 1, while Florida’s law will start on January 1, 2027. Under both laws, if local officials have concerns regarding a voter’s eligibility—following a review of voter registration databases—those voters will need to provide documentation proving citizenship, such as a birth certificate, passport, or naturalization certificate. Should an individual fail to present the necessary proof after being flagged, both states will remove that person from the voter registration lists.

Governor DeSantis described the Florida SAVE Act as a step toward enhancing the security and transparency of the state’s electoral system. He noted, “Strengthening oversight and securing the election process to prevent unlawful influence has been a top priority for my administration since my first day in office.” He emphasized that this legislation aims to reinforce the security, transparency, and trustworthiness of Florida’s election process.

Shortly after the bill’s signing, lawsuits emerged. One civil rights group voiced concerns that not all voters have the required documents, and some might struggle to obtain them. The League of Women Voters of Florida pointed out that various situations—like being born without a birth certificate in the segregated South or losing documents in a hurricane—complicate matters for many voters.

Additionally, the updated laws prohibit the use of student IDs and retirement community IDs as valid voting identification. Starting in July 2027, new driver’s licenses will need to indicate citizenship status.

Meanwhile, the Mississippi SHIELD Act doesn’t mandate that driver’s licenses reflect citizenship. However, it requires local authorities to conduct additional citizen checks when potential voters don’t provide a driver’s license number on their application. Mississippi is also obligated to perform annual checks against a federal database to identify potential non-citizens prior to federal elections.

“While states like California and New York flood their voter rolls with illegal aliens, Mississippi will do the opposite and protect Americans’ right to decide the outcome of our elections,” stated Reeves via social media. He added, “Our goal is to make election fraud impossible, and we will do everything in our power to make it infinitely more difficult!”

On the other hand, the Southern Poverty Law Center noted that this law might disenfranchise residents who lack proper documentation, including individuals whose surnames may have changed due to marriage.

These new laws follow similar legislation passed in South Dakota and Utah in late March, aiming to tighten citizenship proof requirements for voters.

In the background, Trump’s SAVE America Act—which proposes requiring proof of citizenship and photo ID for federal elections—was approved by the House but remains stalled in the Senate, lacking sufficient support to bypass a Democratic-led filibuster.