The governors of Florida and Mississippi have signed legislation requiring documented proof of citizenship to register to vote, joining South Dakota and Utah in passing such laws this year. The moves come as Donald Trump’s Save America Act, which includes similar provisions, remains stalled in the US Senate.
Florida’s new law directs the state’s department of state to cross-check registered voters against state and federal records to identify non-citizens. Those flagged as potentially ineligible will be contacted and asked to provide citizenship documentation or face removal from the rolls. The law also revises acceptable voter ID, removing retirement centre IDs, public assistance IDs and debit or credit cards, while adding US passport cards. These changes take effect on 1 January 2027.
Mississippi’s Shield Act, signed by Governor Tate Reeves, compares voter registration applications with driver’s licence data and the federal SAVE database to verify citizenship. It also creates a process to scrub voter registries of non-citizens. Reeves defended the legislation, stating: “While states like California and New York flood their voter rolls with illegal aliens, Mississippi will do the opposite.”
Louisiana’s similar law, enacted in 2025, remains under legal challenge, as does New Hampshire’s 2024 proof-of-citizenship requirement. Oklahoma is advancing a constitutional amendment to strengthen voter ID rules, while Kansas has passed bills to use the federal SAVE database biannually to check for non-citizen voters.
Voting rights activists anticipate further executive actions from Trump, who recently issued an order to create lists of eligible voters and restrict mail ballot distribution. The order has drawn criticism for its constitutionality and threats of legal challenge.
