Three Days left to Comment on AFL Petition for a Rule Requiring Proof of Citizenship to Vote
Educate. Advocate. Mitigate. Activate!
America First Legal (AFL) announced that the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) opened a nationwide public comment period on AFL’s petition to require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship (DPOC) on the federal voter registration form.
The deadline for public comments is this Monday, October 20, 2025!
Public comment provides Americans the ability to speak up and be heard. Comments can be submitted by clicking here. Every comment helps show that citizens care about election integrity.
Protecting election integrity is essential to preserving our Republic, and this is a rare opportunity for the American people to help secure our elections and ensure only U.S. citizens vote.
Voting in our elections is a sacred privilege for all American citizens!
Thank you to AFL for this historic opportunity to support a commonsense measure to help ensure secure federal elections across the US.
AFL is advocating for DPOC – like a Real ID or a Passport – to be required before someone can register to vote. In Washington State and all across the US, many voters are worried about how clean our voter rolls and elections really are.
Since 2020, 17 states have passed new voter ID laws or made existing voter ID laws more strict. 38 states now have some ID law in place to vote, more than ever before in our country’s history. These laws have strong bipartisan public support. Indeed, a recent Pew survey found that 81% of Americans - including 69% of Democrats - say they support “requiring all voters to show government-issued photo ID” when they vote.
Having a national standard with citizenship checks would mean uniform rules for all states and no guessing games.
The federal voter registration form, created under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA), only requires applicants to check a box affirming their U.S. citizenship. AFL’s petition, filed on July 16, 2025, argues that the NVRA’s reliance on an “honor system” is inadequate, undermines public confidence, and fails to provide the same commonsense safeguards already required to obtain a U.S. passport, Social Security benefits, or a driver’s license.
Requiring DPOC is a simple, uniform safeguard that ensures the federal form does not weaken state election laws or force states to accept registrations that would otherwise be rejected. Cases of noncitizen registration or voting erode public trust. DPOC ensures fairness, uniformity, and integrity in the voter registration process, protecting the rule of law.
The Federal Register’s publication of the EAC’s notice on August 21, 2025, represents the first formal step in the rulemaking process and demonstrates that AFL’s petition has sufficient merit to warrant serious consideration by the Commission.
“This is a critical opportunity for every American to lend their voice and support a formal federal requirement for PROOF of citizenship to register to vote,” said Gene Hamilton, President of AFL. “The answer is beyond dispute: citizenship is foundational to free, fair elections, and relying only on self-attestation is an open invitation for abuse. AFL will not stand by while our elections are weakened by loopholes and fraudulent actors. We urge every American who cares about the rule of law and election integrity to make their voices heard during this historic comment period.”
“The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy, and that right belongs exclusively to American citizens,” said James Rogers, Senior Counsel for AFL. “By requiring DPOC, we can finally close a big loophole that allows aliens to register and vote in our elections. This is our moment to demand that the EAC fulfill its duty to protect American elections. This is an important step for election integrity. Now it’s time for every American who believes that only citizens should vote to make their voices heard.”
“You can’t expect people who would undermine our democracy to be restrained by an honor system. This is a commonsense proposal that will strengthen our elections and help ensure the American people have their voices heard at the ballot box. Remember—every illegal vote cancels out a legal vote, robbing an American citizen of their opportunity to participate in our democracy,” said Ryan Giannetti, Counsel for AFL.
On March 25, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order 14248, “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections,” requiring, among other things, that the EAC implement a DPOC requirement on the federal form. Following this directive, courts in D.C. and Mass. temporarily halted the implementation of that portion of the order, questioning whether the President has the authority to order the EAC to take action. However, even those courts acknowledged that the EAC remains free to impose a DPOC requirement on its own.
Another remedy to the problem is to support and sign WAGOP Chairman and State Representative Jim Walsh’s Election Integrity Citizens Initiative IL26-126: AN ACT Relating to requiring verification of citizenship for voter registration.
The initiative could become law for the WA State 2026 Mid-term elections. To be certified, the petitions must contain the signatures of at least 308,911 registered voters and be submitted by January 2, 2026.
An initiative to the Legislature, if qualified, would first go to lawmakers who could adopt it as written. If they do not act, the measure would then go on the November 2026 ballot. Legislators could also approve an alternative initiative to be placed on the ballot alongside the initiative.
The petition request form is available online at: WAGOP.org/voterID, and in most WA State County GOP offices.
IL26-126 helps ensure that ONLY eligible U.S. citizens are voting in our elections.
Under the GOP-led measure, there are multiple ways individuals would be allowed to prove their citizenship to register to vote - If passed, IL26-126 will:
Require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote (such as an enhanced driver’s license or enhanced ID card, a birth certificate, a U.S. passport, or a naturalization certificate).
Initiate a process to help clean up Washington’s current voter rolls, removing individuals who cannot prove their citizenship.
Strengthen the accuracy and security of our voter rolls.
Increase public confidence in the integrity of our elections.
Protect the voices of legal voters from being diluted by ineligible ballots.
Help prevent voter fraud and restore trust in the process.
Help reinforce the sacred responsibility of citizenship.
Bill Bruch
Bill Bruch is the WA State GOP Election Integrity Committee Chairman (5th year), WAGOP Executive Board Member (5th Year), Skagit County GOP Chairman (9th year), Citizen Journalist, Olympic Conference 2021 Activist of the Year Award Winner, Business Owner, 2020 WA State House Representative Candidate, Former Council Member, and WA State 2016 and 2024 RNC National Convention Delegate.