Proof of Citizenship

Protecting Eligible Voters

Coinciding with the nation’s tense immigration debate of recent years is a strong belief among certain partisans that undocumented people are somehow undermining the democratic process.

POC

Instances of non-citizens attempting to cast a ballot are extremely rare, but this drummed up fear has real consequences: it excludes legitimate voters who do not have documentary proof of citizenship, such as seniors, students living away from home, or married people who adopt the surname of their spouses.

Further, proof-of-citizenship policies essentially quash community-based voter registration drives, which are responsible for reaching large numbers of potential voters at markets, churches, and other public places where one is unlikely to carry birth certicates and passports.

Ensuring that eligible Americans are not prevented from registering and voting due to unnecessary and discriminatory bureaucratic hurdles like proof-of-citizenship requirements is one of Project Vote’s key missions.

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Search for Non-citizens on Tenn. Voter Rolls Turns Up Short

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The witch hunt for non-citizens lurking on voter rolls and compromising elections turned up short in Tennessee this week. According... Read more

Three months, 30 states, 55 new voting restrictions

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It is, as Project Vote's Erin Ferns Lee put it, "an onslaught." Read more

New Voter Suppression Efforts Prove Voting Rights Act Still Needed

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According to a report by Project Vote, 55 new voting restrictions have been introduced in 30 states so far this year. Read more

Legislative Battles Over Voting Rights Continue in 2013

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In a report released today, voting rights organization Project Vote analyzes all of the voting related bills introduced, passed, or rejected across the country in the first quarter of 2013, and finds that the recent trend towards disenfranchisement continues. Read more

Bill Alert: SCOTUS Deliberates Over Arizona Voter Registration Law; Two States Introduce Similar Measures

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On Monday, the United States Supreme Court “heard arguments about whether states have the power under the federal law to... Read more

Voter Registration Should Be Simple, But in Arizona it is Not, Says Project Vote Executive Director

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"Voter registration should be a simple process for all eligible Americans, but in Arizona it is not. Arizona requires citizens to provide documentary proof of their citizenship." Read more

SCOTUS to Hear Important Case on the National Voter Registration Act

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While a great deal of attention has been focused recently on the U.S. Supreme Court’s consideration of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), another vitally important voting rights issue will be argued before the justices next week. Read more

Bill Alert: Missouri House Introduces Proof of Citizenship Bill

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The Missouri House has introduced yet another bill to make voting less accessible. Last week, the House adopted a bill... Read more

Bill Alert: Noncitizen Voter Purge Bill Advances in Virginia

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A Virginia bill to direct the State Board of Elections to compare voter registration rolls to the federal “Systematic Alien... Read more

Voter Purge Bill Defeated in Colorado

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A bill to purge Colorado’s voter rolls of suspected noncitizens failed to pass today because it “could take away the... Read more