Florida’s version of the national SAVE Act cleared the finish line Thursday evening, and if signed by the Governor, it will come with new citizenship verification requirements to vote.

It could mean some voters will need to update their registration before Duval County’s local elections in 2027.

Under the bill, Florida voters would have to ensure their citizenship is verified starting January 1st, 2027, to avoid issues at the ballot box.

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Residents will need proof of citizenship on file with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and or their local Supervisor of Elections Office.

Duval Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland explained that it includes documentation like a birth certificate, passport or naturalization certificate.

“To make sure you’re a US citizen, because that is required to be one in order to vote,” said Holland.

To get a driver’s license or state ID, Floridians already need to provide a birth certificate or a valid passport, so most valid voters with a Florida driver’s license likely won’t be directly impacted.

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Starting next July, the bill would even require driver’s licenses to include a symbol indicating US citizenship.

Holland said voters who are impacted would be notified of any issues well before Election Day to ensure they have the proper documentation on file.

“It’s a requirement that I reach out to the voter and give them time to provide the documentation,” said Holland.

But State Representative Anna Eskamani (D-Orlando) argued that accessing that documentation isn’t so easy for all voters.

“The children of those who have been enslaved and were not born with birth certificates, those elders who are going to face challenges. Anyone who is divorced, change of last name. There’s so many dynamics here,” Eskamani said.

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The bill would also remove student IDs from the list of identification that can be used at the polls.

Eskamani argued that could impact thousands of Florida college students.

“And are now going to be given a provisional ballot and have to navigate that administrative burden, the bureaucratic process to verify their vote,” Eskamani said.

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