Overview
- Attorneys general from 14 Republican-led states, led by Texas AG Ken Paxton, filed a joint comment urging the Election Assistance Commission to require documents such as a passport or birth certificate to prove citizenship when registering.
- Senator Ted Cruz, joined by several Republicans in both chambers, submitted a letter supporting the America First Legal petition and arguing the current self-attestation system lacks meaningful safeguards.
- The public comment period closed Monday, and the EAC will decide whether to open formal rulemaking, a step that could reshape federal voter-registration standards ahead of the 2026 midterms.
- The GOP filings cite President Trump’s Executive Order 14248 and point to the House-passed SAVE Act as aligned efforts to tighten federal registration requirements.
- Opposition groups including the League of Women Voters argue documentary rules would burden eligible voters, and Arizona’s elections office cautioned that implementing such a requirement carries significant logistical and resource demands.