Proof of Citizenship and Purging Voter Rolls

Department of Justice warns election officials that they could be criminally charged over noncitizen voters

"The Department of Justice has dispatched letters to election officials in several states, warning that knowingly keeping noncitizens on the voter rolls could expose them to criminal liability. The states receiving these letters span party lines, indicating the effort is not confined to one partisan target but reflects a wider federal push.

Election officials and outside experts who examined the letters told Votebeat they appear to function more as intimidation than as the groundwork for actual criminal cases.

The messaging leans on the threat of prosecution rather than presenting evidence of widespread wrongdoing, and multiple studies over the years have consistently found that noncitizen voting is exceptionally rare because it is already a serious federal crime carrying penalties including deportation.

The concern raised by voting rights advocates is that pressure of this kind pushes local administrators toward aggressive list maintenance to avoid personal legal exposure.

Overly broad purges have historically swept up naturalized citizens and other eligible voters, forcing them to prove their eligibility or lose access to the ballot. Nonpartisan election workers, already facing staffing shortages and heightened threats in recent years, now face an additional layer of federal pressure as they prepare to run upcoming elections." [Crowd Blue]

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Florida

Starting January 1, 2027, Florida requires officials to verify whether a prospective voter provided proof of citizenship when applying for a driver’s license or state ID card. If not, the person must provide proof of citizenship to be registered to vote. This also applies to individuals who are updating their registration with a change of name, address, or party affiliation.

Documents acceptable as proof of citizenship include:

(a) An original or certified copy of a United States birth certificate.
(b) A valid, unexpired United States passport.
(c) A naturalization certificate issued by the United States Department of Homeland Security.
(d) A Consular Report of Birth Abroad provided by the United States Department of State.
(e) A current and valid Florida driver's license or Florida identification card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, if such license or identification card indicates United States citizenship.
(f) A current and valid photo identification issued by the Federal Government or the state which indicates United States citizenship.