Documentary Proof of Citizenship Laws & Statutes

Reference: Appendix B: Supporting Reference Materials for Model Laws https://www.modelelectionlaws.org/appendix-a--how-to-use-this-resource

Appendix B.1 – Only Citizens Participate in U.S. Elections in Any Manner

Key federal statutes and authorities

• National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA), 52 U.S.C. § 20501 et seq.

  
  

  https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title52/subtitle2/chapter205&edition=prelim

• Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA), 52 U.S.C. § 20901 et seq.

  
  

  https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title52/subtitle2/chapter209&edition=prelim

• Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 – § 656.

  
  

  https://www.congress.gov/104/crpt/hrpt828/CRPT-104hrpt828.pdf

• REAL ID Act of 2005; Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regulations (6 C.F.R. Part 37).

  
  

  https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/COMPS-16376/pdf/COMPS-16376.pdf

• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) SAVE Program.

  
  

  https://www.uscis.gov/save

• Social Security Act § 205(r) – Death Master File.

  
  

  https://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/ssact/title02/0205.htm

• 18 U.S.C. § 611 – Voting by aliens.

  
  

  https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/611

• 52 U.S.C. § 10307 – Voting fraud and related offenses.

  
  

  https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/52/10307

  
  
  
  

2025–2026 federal legislation support

• Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act (H.R. 22, 119th Congress) – requires documentary proof of U.S. citizenship for federal voter registration (passed House April 10, 2025).

  
  

  https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/22/text

  
  
  
  

Selected state statutes and models

• Kansas SAFE Act – proof‑of‑citizenship and ID.

  
  

  https://ksrevisor.gov/statutes/ksa_ch25.html

• Alabama photo ID and citizenship provisions.

  
  

  https://law.justia.com/codes/alabama/title-17/chapter-9/article-2/section-17-9-30/

• Arizona Prop 200, H.B. 2243 – citizenship verification.

  
  

  https://www.recorder.pima.gov/images/prop200_text.pdf

• Georgia S.B. 202 – ID and registration changes.

  
  

  https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20212022/201121

  
  

  Georgia S.B. 202 (2021 Election Integrity Act) – restricts ballot drop boxes to one per 100,000 registered voters, requires indoor placement at early-voting sites only (available only during early-voting hours), and imposes photo ID for absentee ballots. Key provisions upheld in federal court in 2025.

  
  

  Enrolled bill text: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20212022/201498

• Missouri Const. Amendment 6.

  
  

  https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/Elections/2024GeneralElectionBallotMeasures.pdf

• North Dakota election rules (no registration; strict residency/ID).

  
  

  https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t16-1c01.pdf

• Texas Election Code, tit. 2 (citizenship affirmation & ID).

  
  

  https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/EL/htm/EL.13.htm

• Wyoming House Bill 156 (2025) / House Enrolled Act 57 – requires documentary proof of U.S. citizenship and 30-day Wyoming residency for voter registration (effective July 1, 2025; one of the strictest statewide requirements).

  
  

  Official summary and text: https://sos.wyo.gov/Elections/Legislation/2025.aspx

  
  

  Bill text: https://www.wyoleg.gov/Legislation/2025/HB0156

• South Dakota Senate Bill 175 (2026) – requires proof of U.S. citizenship for new voter registrations (signed March 2026; applies to first-time registrants and those removed from rolls; does not affect already-registered voters).

  
  

  Bill information: https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/27075

• State laws on foreign spending in ballot‑measure campaigns.

  
  

  https://ballotpedia.org/Laws_governing_foreign_spending_in_ballot_measure_campaigns

  
  
  
  

Key court decisions

• Crawford v. Marion County Election Bd., 553 U.S. 181 (2008).

  
  

  https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/553/181/

• Arizona v. Inter Tribal Council (ITCA), 570 U.S. 1 (2013).

  
  

  https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/12-71

• Fish v. Kobach, 840 F.3d 710 (10th Cir. 2016).

  
  

  https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca10/16-3147/16-3147-2016-10-19.html

• League of Women Voters v. Newby (D.C. Cir. 2016).

  
  

  https://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-dc-circuit/1748970.html

• Brnovich v. DNC, 594 U.S. ___ (2021).

  
  

  https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/20pdf/19-1257_g204.pdf

  
  
  
  

Reports and model resources

• Heritage Foundation – citizenship and proof‑of‑citizenship analyses.

  
  

  https://www.heritage.org/election-integrity

• Public Interest Legal Foundation – “Alien Invasion” series.

  
  

  https://publicinterestlegal.org/research/

• Honest Elections Project – 2024 reform report (citizenship section).

  
  

  https://honestelections.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/HEP_2024-Election-Reform-Report_v4.pdf

• American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)

• Statement of Principles on Legislative Oversight.

https://alec.org/model-policy/statement-of-principles-on-legislative-oversight/ 

• Resolution to Restore Citizenship on United States Census.

https://alec.org/model-policy/resolution-to-include-citizenship-on-united-states-census/ 

• Only Citizens Vote Model Policy

https://alec.org/model-policy/only-citizens-vote-model-policy/ 

• Citizen Only Voting Amendment

https://alec.org/model-policy/citizen-only-voting-amendment/ 

• U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) – HAVA resources.

  
  

  https://www.eac.gov/about/help_america_vote_act.aspx

• National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) – voter ID & proof‑of‑citizenship database.

  
  

  https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/voter-id

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Election Data & Science Lab – research library.

  
  

  https://electionlab.mit.edu/research