Florida Legislature Approves Election Bill Requiring Proof of Citizenship

The Florida Legislature has passed an election bill that mandates voters to verify their citizenship when registering. This legislation mirrors the federal Save America law, which has substantial backing from former President Donald Trump.

On Thursday, state lawmakers in Tallahassee, predominantly Republican, approved the bill with a vote of 77-28 in the House, following a 27-12 approval in the Senate. Interestingly, the voting largely fell along party lines in both chambers.

Governor Ron DeSantis has expressed his support for what he refers to as “Florida’s version of the SAVE Act,” and he intends to sign it into law once it reaches his desk. “Florida has already implemented much of what is outlined in federal legislation, and this will significantly bolster Florida’s position as a leader in election integrity,” he noted in a social media post.

This development in Florida comes at a time when the future of the federal bill is rather uncertain in Congress.

The SAVE Act, which stands for “Protecting American Voter Eligibility,” barely passed the Republican-majority House earlier this year, again mostly along party lines. In the Senate, Republicans hold a 53-47 edge, which falls short of the 60 votes needed for passage.

The proposed federal bill aims to enforce stricter voter ID requirements and citizenship verification across the U.S. Republicans argue that these measures are essential for safeguarding election integrity.

Polls indicate a significant portion of Americans, spanning across political lines, favor voter ID laws and measures to prevent non-citizens from voting. However, Democrats contend that such a bill is superfluous since citizenship is already a voting requirement and that non-citizen voting is extremely rare.

Critics, including Democrats and voting rights advocates, caution that the federal legislation could impose unnecessary hurdles, making it more complicated for eligible voters to cast their ballots.

Recently, Trump emphasized the need for Congress to prioritize the citizenship proof bill, suggesting that its passage would ensure Republican success in the upcoming midterm elections.

Interestingly, Florida’s proof of citizenship requirement will not be enforced until January, which is after the November 2024 elections. Moreover, the new law does not prohibit mail-in voting in the state, despite Trump’s longstanding criticism of that voting method.

The state bill also includes a provision that prevents college students from using their student IDs to vote in person, although this will not take effect until 2027.

Democratic State Senator Lavon Bracey Davis of Orlando remarked that “this bill creates real barriers for everyday Floridians, particularly those with limited resources.” She emphasized that it could disproportionately affect working families, seniors, and college students, who simply want to exercise their right to vote.

If this bill becomes law, Florida would become the largest state requiring proof of citizenship to register. Similar measures have been enacted in Arizona, Kansas, and most recently in Louisiana.

Additionally, South Dakota and Utah have passed similar bills, pending their governors’ approval, and starting in 2024, New Hampshire will also require first-time voters to show proof of citizenship during registration.