Proof of Citizenship

Protecting Eligible Voters

Coinciding with the nation’s tense immigration debate of recent years is a strong belief among certain partisans that undocumented people are somehow undermining the democratic process.

POC

Instances of non-citizens attempting to cast a ballot are extremely rare, but this drummed up fear has real consequences: it excludes legitimate voters who do not have documentary proof of citizenship, such as seniors, students living away from home, or married people who adopt the surname of their spouses.

Further, proof-of-citizenship policies essentially quash community-based voter registration drives, which are responsible for reaching large numbers of potential voters at markets, churches, and other public places where one is unlikely to carry birth certicates and passports.

Ensuring that eligible Americans are not prevented from registering and voting due to unnecessary and discriminatory bureaucratic hurdles like proof-of-citizenship requirements is one of Project Vote’s key missions.

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Restrictive Election Bills Gain Traction in 2011, But Not Without a Fight

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Today, Project Vote released the second installment in our ongoing Election Legislation Threats and Opportunities Assessment series that examines proposed... Read more

Federal Court Revisits Restrictive Arizona Voter Registration Law

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Arizona’s “proof-of-citizenship” voter registration law is being revisited in a federal court. An 11-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit... Read more

The Silent Majority: How False Mandates May Lead to Regressive Laws

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The people spoke on November 2, say conservatives who made gains in the House and Senate. However, all this talk... Read more

Restrictive Voter Registration Law Struck Down in Arizona

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A notoriously restrictive voter registration law was struck down in Arizona today after the United States Court of Appeals for... Read more

How Public Misconceptions about Voter Fraud Result in the Disenfranchisement of Legitimate Voters

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According to a recent poll, 20 percent of Americans believe a defunct community organization will steal the midterm elections. Even... Read more

Archaic Voter Registration Procedures Leave Citizens Behind

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Access to voter registration—the basis of democratic participation—is still limited in the 21st century by overly restrictive, “horse-and-buggy” laws across... Read more

Noncitizen Voting is Nonexistent, Say Michigan Election Officials

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As Michigan considers following the dangerous example of Arizona’s controversial anti-immigration law, one of the candidates for the state’s chief... Read more

Georgia SOS Files Suit to Approve Controversial Voter Verification System

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The fight over Georgia’s proposed voter verification system continues, with both the state and civil rights groups filing suit over... Read more

Michigan Models Anti-Immigration Bills After Arizona; Targets Voting

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Following the buzz in Michigan that the state wants to clone Arizona’s controversial immigration bill, SB 1070, the state introduced... Read more

Immigration Hysteria May Affect Voting Rights in Tennessee

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A disturbing and growing hysteria over immigration—most evident in Arizona’s horrifyingly oppressive new law—has now spread into election administration legislation... Read more