Chicago – Februaru 01, 2025
House Republicans have introduced a new set of laws aimed at tightening election security, with plans to focus on these changes for the upcoming 2026 elections.
Led by Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger of Texas, the legislative package has been backed by four other lawmakers for the entire set, with additional support from different members for specific bills.
The proposed laws include three main parts: one bill would stop residents of Washington, D.C., who are not U.S. citizens, from voting in local elections. Another bill seeks to prevent noncitizens from participating in the administration of elections. Lastly, a proposed constitutional amendment aims to ensure that noncitizens cannot vote.
Currently, while noncitizens are not allowed to vote in federal elections, there are no laws preventing them from voting in state or local elections. However, no state currently allows noncitizens to vote in statewide elections. Some places, including Washington, D.C., do let noncitizens vote in their local elections.
Earlier this year, House Republicans passed a law called the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which makes people show proof of citizenship when they register to vote.
Many Democrats have criticized these Republican efforts, accusing them of unnecessarily targeting practices that are mostly illegal already. They argue that this could undermine trust in the electoral process.
