Rep. Crane and Sen. Cruz Call for Proof of Citizenship Requirement in Federal Elections

Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) issued a letter endorsing a petition aimed at strengthening voter registration standards. The petition urges the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to amend its regulations and the National Mail Voter Registration Form to require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship for federal voter registration. Currently, the federal form relies solely on self-attestation, which allows applicants to check a box under penalty of perjury. As a result, the system lacks meaningful safeguards against ineligible registrations. If adopted, the proposed reforms would require proof of citizenship at the point of registration, resulting in a more secure and trustworthy process. Cosigners include Reps. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Byron Donalds (R-FL), Pat Fallon (R-TX), Andy Harris (R-MD), Clay Higgins (R-LA), Ronny Jackson (R-TX), Mary Miller (R-IL), Barry Moore (R-AL), Riley Moore (R-WV), Derek Schmidt (R-KS), and Greg Steube (R-FL), as well as Sens. Jim Banks (R-IN), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Ted Budd (R-NC), John Cornyn (R-TX), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Roger Marshall (R-KS), and Bernie Moreno (R-OH). "I'm proud to support this effort to strengthen our election system. In our constitutional republic, only American citizens should be able to vote, and requiring proof of citizenship at registration is a commonsense safeguard," said Rep. Crane. "Considering we already show ID to drive, fly, or open a bank account, this is not a novel concept. It's simply a necessary step to ensure the integrity of our elections."