Proof of Citizenship

REAL ID has made a splash in recent news cycles, legislation at the state and federal level, and in conversations around voter registration. This overview explains what REAL ID is and its ability to verify citizenship.

USCIS announced an overhaul of the SAVE system that may provide election officials with additional streamlined tools to confirm the citizenship of voter registrants. Up until now, no single federal system has been able to verify the eligibility for all U.S. citizens, which has spawned various state and federal proposals for burdensome document-based citizenship requirements.

In Arizona, very few voters actually provide physical documents while registering to vote. Instead, election officials use existing state and federal databases to verify citizenship for the vast majority of applicants. This paper discusses how Arizona's proof of citizenship law actually works.

Our team analyzes the SAVE Act (H.R. 22) and its implications on state election systems.

A Summary of UMD’s Texas and Georgia Case Studies