JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Today, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 991, also known as Florida’s version of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act.
The bill will require Florida voters to prove they are United States citizens before voting. It’ll also require them to provide documentation proving their citizenship status every time they update their voter registration, including after moving or getting married.
Within hours of the Governor signing the bill, multiple voter rights groups filed a lawsuit, arguing that it places “unlawful burdens” on voters. Some of these groups include the NAACP, the ACLU, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, the League of Florida Voters and more.
“Our constitution in the state of Florida says only American citizens are allowed to vote in our elections,” Gov. DeSantis said during the announcement. “And so we need to make sure that that is the law.
Jerry Holland, the Duval County Supervisor of Elections, says that it’s important to remember that this will not impact this upcoming election season.
“No one will ever have to bring proof of citizenship to the polls,” Holland said. “Their citizenship will be established before they go and vote.”
He says that as you get your driver’s license renewed, or lose it and get a new one, that’s the point at which you’ll be required to show your citizenship.
As of right now, obtaining your driver’s license in Florida does not require proof of citizenship — just proof that you are who you are through things like birth certificates.
“If they don’t find or cannot show what the person’s citizenship is, then they will notify us as supervisor of elections, and we will reach out to the voters,” Holland said. “So the voter will have plenty of time prior to an election if we have some issues that they need to clear up.”
Florida Representative Angie Nixon says the entire process is unnecessary, especially for older folks who may not have access to their birth certificate, if they have one at all.
“I would definitely say it is like a modern-day poll tax,” Rep. Nixon said.
Obtaining a birth or marriage certificate costs money, which the state does not provide. Under the 24th Amendment, any fee as a condition of voting in federal elections is strictly prohibited.
The bill will also eliminate previously accepted forms of identification, like student IDs, and will require the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to include legal status on any identification card.
As of now, the bill will go into effect on January 1, 2027.
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