Ted Cruz Throws Support Behind Plan To Keep Noncitizens From Voting

Senator Ted Cruz has thrown his support behind a measure to prevent noncitizens from voting in American elections.

The Texas Republican on Tuesday wrote a comment letter along with Congressman Eli Crane in support of America First Legal Foundation’s petition to the Election Assistance Commission to require voters present documentary proof of citizenship in order to register to vote in federal elections.

“Unfortunately, the current federal form falls short of that mandate,” the lawmakers write in the letter, a copy of which was exclusively obtained by The Daily Wire. “It relies solely on self-attestation of citizenship, allowing an applicant merely to check a box under penalty of perjury. This ‘honor system’ offers no meaningful safeguard against ineligible individuals registering to vote.”

“Requiring documentary proof of citizenship is a simple, common-sense reform. Just as Americans are asked to show identification for far less consequential activities—boarding an airplane, opening a bank account, or even attending certain events—it is entirely reasonable to require proof of citizenship to participate in our elections. This step would not burden eligible voters but would provide an essential check to ensure that only citizens are added to the voter rolls,” the letter continues.

The letter is co-signed by a long list of Republicans in both chambers, including Sens. Ted Budd, Jim Banks, Roger Marshall, Cindy Hyde-Smith, Bernie Moreno, John Cornyn and Marsha Blackburn. On the House side, Andy Harris, Barry Moore, W. Gregory Steube, Andy Biggs, Byron Donalds, Clay Higgins, Mary Miller, Ronny Jackson, Derek Schmidt, Riley Moore and Pat Fallon signed on.

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A handful of states have laws on the books requiring people to go beyond just checking a box, including Arizona, which was once the only state that had a law requiring the practice.

“We submitted formal comments to the EAC explaining our perspective on this issue and experience implementing and administering a DPOC requirement. Arizona is no longer the only state that requires DPOC, but we are the only state that has been doing this for over 2 decades and have fully implemented a program that anticipates all impacts on voters,” Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes’ office told The Daily Wire in an email.

“For Arizona, this issue is difficult both for voters and election administrators, and comes with significant logistical and resource demands,” the email continued.

If successful, the petition would require people to verify that they are a citizen with options such as a passport, a “Real-ID” through their state, military ID, or another type of photo identification from the government that affirms the person registering is a citizen of the United States.

“The right to vote is one of the most fundamental privileges of American citizenship and protecting that right requires a system that is both secure and trustworthy,” the letter stated.