America First Legal, cofounded by Stephen Miller, has asked the nonpartisan Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to require Americans to provide documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote. The EAC is currently requesting comments on a petition that seeks to initiate a rulemaking process to amend the federal voter registration form in a blatant attempt to suppress the vote for millions of Americans.
Everyone should have their voices heard at the ballot box. Redundant and unnecessary proof of citizenship requirements would prevent millions of eligible American citizens from registering or re-registering to vote by requiring them to show their passport or birth certificate.
This is a transparent attempt to suppress the vote, especially impacting communities of color, poor people, tribal communities, LGBTQIA+ people, survivors of natural disasters, and the tens of millions of married women in America who have changed their legal names.
21 million eligible voters, about 1 in 10 adult citizens, do not readily have access to any proof of citizenship. Half of all Americans—146 million people—do not have a passport at all. 69 million American citizens don’t have a birth certificate with their current legal name on it.
Submit a comment voicing your opposition! Comments must be submitted by October 20 at 11:59 PM ET / 8:59 PM PT.
These comments will be viewable by the general public as well as this administration’s Election Assistance Commission. For your safety and privacy, we recommend that regardless of your experiences, you withhold and avoid disclosing any identifying information including your date of birth, social security number, or other identification numbers, your address, your immigration status or nationality of origin.
Use the following talking points and your own story to personalize your comment and maximize its impact.
I’m against requiring citizens to submit a passport, birth certificate, or other documentation of citizenship to register to vote. Only half of American citizens have a passport and 69 million American citizens don’t have a birth certificate with their current legal name on it. Redundant and unnecessary proof of citizenship requirements are a transparent attempt to suppress the vote especially impacting communities of color, tribal communities, LGBTQIA+ people, survivors of natural disasters, and the tens of millions of married women in America who have changed their legal names.
The current cost of passport book, $165, is cost-prohibitive for many low-income Americans, moving us back to the poll taxes and literacy tests defeated decades ago through the Twenty Fourth Amendment and the Voting Rights Act. Furthermore, there are currently significant delays in getting passports due to cuts to the federal workforce that processes passport applications in 2025, which could lead to greater impediments to voting.