What This Bill Does
This bill changes the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require people to show written proof that they are U.S. citizens before they can register to vote in elections for federal office (like elections for President, Congress members). The bill tells state election officials to decide what documents count as proof of citizenship.
Who It Affects
People who want to register to vote in federal elections within a state. State election officials. The Election Assistance Commission (a federal agency that helps run elections).
Key Provisions
* Individuals cannot register to vote in federal elections held in a state unless they provide written documents proving they are U.S. citizens at the time they apply to register (Sec. 2(a)).
* Each state's chief election official, working with the Election Assistance Commission, must decide which documents people must show to prove citizenship (Sec. 2(a)).
* This requirement applies to all ways people can register to vote in a state, including mail-in registration forms and any other registration method available (Sec. 2(a)).
* People who break this rule can be punished with a criminal penalty (Sec. 2(a)).
What Changes
If this bill becomes law, people registering to vote in federal elections must provide written proof of U.S. citizenship starting immediately after the bill is signed into law. This applies to all voter registration applications submitted after that date.
Important Definitions
Documentary proof means written documents (exact types not specified in bill text).
Effective Date
The bill applies to voter registration applications submitted on or after the date the bill becomes law (Sec. 2(b)).
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 627
To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to prohibit an indi-
vidual from registering to vote in elections for Federal office held in
the State unless the individual provides documentary proof that the
individual is a citizen of the United States.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 30, 2023
Mr. FALLON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on House Administration
A BILL
To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to
prohibit an individual from registering to vote in elec-
tions for Federal office held in the State unless the
individual provides documentary proof that the individual
is a citizen of the United States.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Verification Of The
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Electorate Act’’ or the ‘‘VOTE Act’’.
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SEC. 2. PROHIBITING REGISTRATION TO VOTE OF INDIVID-
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UALS WHO FAIL TO PROVIDE PROOF OF
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UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 8 of the National Voter
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Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20507) is amended—
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(1) by redesignating subsection (j) as sub-
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section (k); and
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(2) by inserting after subsection (i) the fol-
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lowing new subsection:
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‘‘(j) PROHIBITING REGISTRATION OF INDIVIDUALS
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NOT PROVIDING PROOF OF UNITED STATES CITIZEN-
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SHIP.—
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‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other
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provision of this Act, an individual may not register
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to vote in elections for Federal office held in the
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State unless, at the time the individual applies to
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register to vote, the individual provides documentary
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proof that the individual is a citizen of the United
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States. The chief State election official of a State
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shall, in consultation with the Election Assistance
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Commission, determine which documents an indi-
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vidual must provide to prove that the individual is
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a citizen of the United States for purposes of this
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paragraph.
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‘‘(2) APPLICABILITY.—Paragraph (1) applies
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with respect to an individual who applies to register
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•HR 627 IH
to vote under section 5, 6, or 7 (including an indi-
1
vidual who submits the mail voter registration appli-
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cation form prescribed by the Election Assistance
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Commission pursuant to section 9), or who applies
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under any other method of voter registration avail-
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able in the State.
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‘‘(3) APPLICATION OF CRIMINAL PENALTY.—An
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individual who violates this subsection shall be sub-
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ject to the criminal penalty described in section
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12(2).’’.
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(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by
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subsection (a) shall apply with respect to applications for
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voter registration which are submitted on or after the date
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of the enactment of this Act.
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Æ
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