Bill Summary
The proposed legislation, referred to as the "___ Act," mandates that individuals must present both government-issued photo identification and proof of U.S. citizenship in order to vote in federal elections. The bill amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to impose these requirements on voters, whether they are voting in person or by mail.
Key provisions of the bill include:
1. **Identification Requirements**:
- Voters must provide either a single document that serves as both proof of citizenship and photo ID, or two documents—one for each requirement—where the names match. If the names differ, additional evidence (like a court order or marriage certificate) is required to demonstrate a name change.
2. **Provisional Ballots**:
- Voters who cannot present the required identification may still cast a provisional ballot, which will only be counted if their citizenship is verified according to state law.
3. **Definition of Documents**:
- The bill outlines acceptable forms of photo identification and proof of citizenship, including U.S. passports, military records, birth certificates, and other official documents.
4. **Criminal Penalties**:
- It introduces penalties for individuals who assist non-citizens in voting or who provide ballots to individuals who do not meet the identification requirements.
5. **Implementation Timeline**:
- The legislation is set to take effect for federal elections occurring on or after November 2026.
Overall, the legislation aims to ensure that only U.S. citizens participate in federal elections by imposing strict identification and citizenship verification requirements.
Possible Impacts
The proposed legislation requiring government photo identification and proof of United States citizenship to vote in federal elections could have several effects on individuals. Here are three examples:
1. **Increased Barriers to Voting**: The requirement for photo identification and proof of citizenship could create significant obstacles for certain groups of people, particularly minorities, the elderly, and low-income individuals who may not have easy access to the necessary documents. For example, those who do not possess a government-issued ID might need to go through a complicated process to obtain one, which could discourage them from voting altogether.
2. **Potential for Disenfranchisement**: Individuals who are unable to provide the required documentation on voting day may be forced to cast provisional ballots, which may not be counted unless they can later prove their citizenship. This could lead to disenfranchisement of eligible voters who may not have the means or time to verify their citizenship status before the election deadline, disproportionately affecting marginalized communities.
3. **Administrative Burden on Election Officials**: Implementing these identification requirements may place additional burdens on state and local election officials, who will need to establish protocols for verifying the new documentation. This could lead to longer wait times at polling places, increased confusion among voters, and greater challenges in ensuring that all eligible voters are able to participate in elections, potentially undermining the efficiency and accessibility of the voting process.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6936 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6936
To require that individuals provide government photo identification and
proof of United States citizenship to vote in Federal elections, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 2, 2026
Ms. Greene of Georgia introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on House Administration
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require that individuals provide government photo identification and
proof of United States citizenship to vote in Federal elections, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
[SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``___ Act''.]
[Do you want to include a short title?]
SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT TO PROVIDE GOVERNMENT PHOTO IDENTIFICATION AND
PROOF OF UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP TO VOTE IN FEDERAL
ELECTIONS.
(a) Requirement To Provide Government Photo Identification and
Proof of United States Citizenship as Condition of Casting Ballot.--
Title III of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081 et
seq.) is amended by inserting after section 303 the following new
section:
``SEC. 303A. GOVERNMENT PHOTO IDENTIFICATION AND PROOF OF UNITED STATES
CITIZENSHIP REQUIRED TO VOTE IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS.
``(a) Provision of Government Photo Identification and Proof of
United States Citizenship Required as Condition of Casting Ballot.--
``(1) Individuals voting in person.--
``(A) In general.--Notwithstanding any other
provision of law, the appropriate State or local
election official may not provide a ballot for an
election for Federal office to an individual who
desires to vote in person unless the individual
presents to the official--
``(i) a document that is both proof of
United States citizenship and government photo
identification; or
``(ii) a document that is proof of United
States citizenship, together with a document
that is government photo identification, if--
``(I) the name of the applicant is
identical on both such documents; or
``(II) in the case that the name of
the applicant is not identical on both
such documents, the applicant provides
evidence sufficient to demonstrate that
the name of such applicant has changed,
such as a court order, marriage
certificate, divorce decree, or other
vital document record.
``(B) Availability of provisional ballot.--If an
individual does not present the identification required
under subparagraph (A), the individual shall be
permitted to cast a provisional ballot with respect to
the election under section 302(a) but such provisional
ballot may only be counted as a vote in that election
in accordance with State law if the individual is
verified as a citizen of the United States by the
appropriate State or local election official under
section 302(a)(4).
``(2) Individuals voting other than in person.--
``(A) In general.--Notwithstanding any other
provision of law, the appropriate State or local
election official may not accept any ballot for an
election for Federal office provided by an individual
who votes other than in person unless the individual
submits with the ballot--
``(i) a copy of a document that is both
proof of United States citizenship and
government photo identification; or
``(ii) a copy of a document that is proof
of United States citizenship, together with a
copy of a document that is government photo
identification, if--
``(I) the name of the applicant is
identical on both such documents; or
``(II) in the case that the name of
the applicant is not identical on both
such documents, the applicant provides
evidence sufficient to demonstrate that
the name of such applicant has changed,
such as a court order, marriage
certificate, divorce decree, or other
vital document record.
``(B) Availability of provisional ballot.--An
individual who desires to vote by mail but who does not
meet the requirements of subparagraph (A) may cast such
a ballot by mail and the ballot shall be counted as a
provisional ballot in accordance with section 302(a)
but such provisional ballot may only be counted as a
vote in that election in accordance with State law if
the individual is verified as a citizen of the United
States by the appropriate State or local election
official under section 302(a)(4).
``(b) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Government photo identification.--The term
`government photo identification' means, with respect to an
applicant for voter registration, a valid identification card
issued by a Federal, State, or Tribal government that
includes--
``(A) a photograph of the applicant;
``(B) the full name of the applicant; and
``(C) the date of birth of the applicant.
``(2) Proof of united states citizenship.--The term `proof
of United States citizenship' means, with respect to an
applicant for voter registration, any of the following:
``(A) A valid United States passport.
``(B) A United States military record of service
showing that the place of birth of the applicant was in
the United States.
``(C) A valid photo identification card issued by a
Federal, State, or Tribal government showing that the
place of birth of the applicant was in the United
States.
``(D) A certified birth certificate issued by a
State, a unit of local government in a State, or a
Tribal government which--
``(i) was issued by the State, unit of
local government, or Tribal government in which
the applicant was born;
``(ii) was filed with the office
responsible for keeping vital records in the
State;
``(iii) includes the full name, date of
birth, and place of birth of the applicant;
``(iv) lists the full names of one or both
of the parents of the applicant;
``(v) has the signature of an individual
who is authorized to sign birth certificates on
behalf of the State, unit of local government,
or Tribal government in which the applicant was
born;
``(vi) includes the date that the
certificate was filed with the office
responsible for keeping vital records in the
State; and
``(vii) has the seal of the State, unit of
local government, or Tribal government that
issued the birth certificate.
``(E) An extract from a United States hospital
Record of Birth created at the time of the birth of the
applicant that indicates that the applicant's place of
birth was in the United States.
``(F) A final adoption decree showing the name of
the applicant and that the applicant's place of birth
was in the United States.
``(G) A Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a
citizen of the United States or a certification of the
applicant's Report of Birth of a United States citizen
issued by the Secretary of State.
``(H) A Naturalization Certificate or Certificate
of Citizenship issued by the Secretary of Homeland
Security or any other document or method of proof of
United States citizenship issued by the Federal
Government pursuant to title III of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1401 et seq.).
``(I) An American Indian Card issued by the
Department of Homeland Security with the classification
`KIC'.''.
(b) Criminal Penalties.--Section 12(2) of the National Voter
Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20511(2)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``or'' at the end of subparagraph (A);
(2) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (D);
and
(3) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following new
subparagraphs:
``(B) providing material assistance to a noncitizen
in attempting to vote in an election for Federal
office;
``(C) providing a ballot for an election for
Federal office to an individual who fails to present
government photo identification and proof of United
States citizenship; or''.
(c) Conforming and Clerical Amendments.--
(1) Conforming amendments relating to repeal of existing
photo identification requirements for certain voters.--Section
303 of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21083) is
amended--
(A) in the heading, by striking ``and requirements
for voters who register by mail'';
(B) in subsection (b)--
(i) in the heading, by striking ``for
Voters Who Register by Mail'' and inserting
``for Mail-In Registration Forms''; and
(ii) by striking paragraphs (1), (2), and
(3) and redesignating paragraphs (4) and (5) as
paragraphs (1) and (2), respectively; and
(C) in subsection (c), by striking ``subsections
(a)(5)(A)(i)(II) and (b)(3)(B)(i)(II)'' and inserting
``subsection (a)(5)(A)(i)(II)''.
(2) Conforming amendment related to enforcement.--Section
401 of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21111) is amended by striking
``sections 301, 302, 303, and 304'' and inserting ``subtitle A
of title III''.
(3) Clerical amendment.--The table of contents of such Act
is amended--
(A) by amending the item relating to section 303 to
read as follows:
``Sec. 303. Computerized statewide voter registration list
requirements.''; and
(B) by inserting after the item relating to section
303 the following:
``Sec. 303A. Proof of United States citizenship to vote in Federal
elections.''.
(d) Effective Date.--This section and the amendments made by this
section shall apply with respect to any regularly scheduled general
election for Federal office occurring in November 2026 and any Federal
election thereafter.
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