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An early voting site at the Seffner-Mango Branch Library in Seffner, Florida on Aug. 2, 2024. Credit: Photo by Dave Decker<\/p>\nAn early voting site at the Seffner-Mango Branch Library in Seffner, Florida on Aug. 2, 2024. Credit: Photo by Dave Decker<\/p>\n
Legislation that would require new Florida voters to show proof of U.S. citizenship has again been filed in advance of the Florida legislative session kicking off next week in Tallahassee.<\/p>\n
HB 991<\/a>\u00a0reportedly has the backing of the Florida supervisors of election and is sponsored by state Reps. Jenna Persons-Mulicka, R-Fort Myers, and Dana Trabulsy, R- Fort Pierce.<\/p>\n The bill is similar to Persons-Mulicka\u2019s\u00a0legislation<\/a>\u00a0from a year ago, which came in response to President Trump\u2019s 2025\u00a0executive order<\/a>\u00a0requiring voters to show proof of U.S. citizenship. That bill died in committee.<\/p>\n The 2026 bill from Persons-Mulicka and Trabulsky include these provisions:<\/p>\n Requires documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote.<\/p>\n Mandates that the Florida Department of State review all current voter registrations for citizenship status and forward names to supervisors of elections to request proof of eligibility from voters. It lists documents voters can provide as proof, including a current and valid U.S. passport; a U.S. birth certificate; a Consular Report of Birth Abroad provided by the U.S. State Department; a current and valid Florida driver license or ID card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV); a naturalization certificate, a certificate of citizenship, a certificate number, or an alien registration number issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; a current and valid photo ID issued by the federal government or the government of Florida which indicates U.S. citizenship; an order from a federal court granting U.S. citizenship.<\/p>\n Requires driver\u2019s licenses and state ID cards to display citizenship status.<\/p>\n Expands information-sharing on citizenship status between the Department of State, the DHSMV and jury coordinators.<\/p>\n Creates a new post-election audit process.<\/p>\n Makes changes to the recount process.<\/p>\n Makes new restrictions on campaign contributions from foreign nationals.<\/p>\n Another measure requiring U.S. citizenship to vote that has been introduced in the House is\u00a0HB 985<\/a>\u00a0by Rep. Berny Jacques, R-Pinellas County. His measure is being embraced by voter integrity advocates in Florida. Among its provisions include:<\/p>\n Require supervisors to verify a citizenship\u2019s status by using the Systemic Alien Verification for Entitlements Program or \u201cSAVE\u201d program that is administered by the\u00a0U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services<\/a>\u00a0used by federal, state, and local government agencies to verify the immigration status and U.S. citizenship of applicants seeking benefits or licenses.<\/p>\n Election supervisors \u201cwho have determined that false affirmations have been made on a voter registration application\u201d must refer the application to the Office of Election Crimes and Security.<\/p>\n Information received by the DHSMV indicating that a registered voter has received a driver\u2019s license in another state \u201cshall be considered a written request from the voter to have his or her name removed from the statewide voter registration system.\u201d<\/p>\n Narrows the list of IDs that can be used at the polls.<\/p>\n Adds new requirements for voters who registered using a Florida ID.<\/p>\n Expands the use of provisional ballots for voters whose citizenship can\u2019t be verified.<\/p>\n Creates additional steps for vote-by-mail requests.<\/p>\n Florida IDs and driver licenses issued to non-citizens must be marked \u201cNC\u201d on the front.<\/p>\n \u201cThe future of our state and nation depends on free and secure elections!\u201d Jacques wrote in a newsletter sent to his constituents this week. \u201cI urge my colleagues to stand with me to safeguard our elections and support this critical piece of legislation. Thank you for your support \u2014 together, we will ensure that Florida\u2019s elections are secure for the foreseeable future.\u201d<\/p>\n Neither bill requiring U.S. citizenship to vote has a Senate companion yet.<\/p>\n Only four states\u2014Arizona, Louisiana, Wyoming, and New Hampshire\u2014require that voters provide a document proving their U.S. citizenship to register to vote, \u00a0according to\u00a0VoteRiders<\/a>, a nonpartisan organization.<\/p>\n Other election bills filed for session<\/p>\n Other election-related bills this year include a measure to revise the timelines for when special elections can take place. That measure has been filed in the Senate by Boca Raton Democrat\u00a0Tina Polsky<\/a>\u00a0and in the House (HB 597<\/a>) by Democrats Mike Gottlieb of Davie and Daryl Campbell of Fort Lauderdale.<\/p>\n Polsky is also the Senate sponsor of a proposal (SB 132<\/a>) to establish a centralized database to track the voting rights of individuals with felony convictions. Rep. Felicia Robinson, D-Miami Gardens, is the main sponsor of the bill (HB 73<\/a>) in the House.<\/p>\n Another measure would limit foreign influence in state elections, government, and public institutions. The proposal, called \u201cThe Foreign Interference Restriction and Enforcement Act\u201d (SB 1178<\/a>), is sponsored by Sen. Erin Grall, R-Vero Beach.<\/p>\n The proposal requires agents of foreign countries of concern (defined as China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Qatar, Syria, and \u201cthe Venezuelan regime of Nicol\u00e1s Maduro\u201d) to register with the Division of Elections and file regular disclosures. It would prohibit public officials, employees, and candidates from accepting gifts, travel, or anything of value from foreign countries of concern or designated terrorist organizations.<\/p>\n Florida Phoenix<\/a> is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Pitch in to help make the Tampa Bay Journalism Project a success.<\/a><\/p>\n Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.<\/a><\/p>\n Follow us:\u00a0Google News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0NewsBreak<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Reddit<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Facebook\u00a0<\/a>|\u00a0BlueSky<\/a><\/p>\n Recent Stories<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\tIt\u2019s Mars\u2019 first headline tour in nearly a decade.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\tThe approvals simply did not come back in time for the Jan. 11 performance.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\tA similar bill died in committee last year.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n This article appears in Jan. 01 \u2013 07, 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n \t
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