The Markup: Texas Proof of Citizenship Voting Bill Fails

We are tracking 1,675 bills prefiled or introduced this session across 50 states. Our analysis finds that 733 bills improve voter access or election administration and 429 bills restrict voter access or election administration.

Improving Voter Access or Administration

Texas legislature passes bill establishing early voting the weekend before Election Day.

The legislature passed S.B. 2753, which would shift the early voting period to eliminate the four-day gap between the end of early voting and Election Day. Under the bill, early voting would begin on the 12th day before most elections and continue through the day before the election. The bill also would extend Sunday voting hours during the early voting period. The bill now goes to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk.

Restricting Voter Access or Administration

New Hampshire legislature advances bills imposing new restrictions on mail voting and registration.

The New Hampshire Senate amended and advanced two restrictive election bills: S.B. 287 (requiring mail ballot applicants to submit a copy of a photo ID or a notarized signature with their applications) and S.B. 218 (requiring residents who are eligible to submit a voter registration form by mail to provide proof of their qualifications, including proof of U.S. citizenship). Currently, citizens registering in person must provide proof of their qualifications, while those mailing an application may attest to their qualifications under penalty of perjury. These bills now advance to the House, which has already passed a bill restricting mail registration.

Nebraska to require mail ballot signature verification.

Gov. Jim Pillen signed L.B. 521, which requires election officials to reject ballots if they perceive a mismatch between a voter’s mail ballot signature and signature on file. Currently, voters must provide an ID number or a copy of an ID when requesting a mail ballot. The bill also includes some positive changes, including permitting the use of a hospice or care agency record as voter ID.

On Our Radar

Nevada legislature reaches voter ID compromise; sends various election bills to governor for signature.

The Nevada legislature passed the bipartisan A.B. 499. This bill would implement a new ID requirement for in-person and mail voting, end signature verification on ballots verified by an ID number, and expand drop box availability. Also headed to the governor is S.B. 422, which would expand the forms of acceptable documentation for same-day registration and extend DMV hours around elections in the state’s largest counties. The voter ID compromise comes after 73% of voters supported a proposed state constitutional amendment to require voter ID. That proposal must be approved by voters again in 2028 to be enshrined in the state’s constitution.

Federal district court hears arguments in litigation over President Trump’s elections executive order.

A judge in the Massachusetts federal district court considered a challenge brought by 19 states against President Donald Trump’s March executive order on elections. The order sought to require proof of citizenship for voter registration and to prohibit states from accepting mail ballots received after Election Day, among other changes. The states are requesting a preliminary injunction blocking the executive order. In April, a D.C. judge issued an injunction blocking much of the order.

Texas proof of citizenship proposal dies in final days of session.

Legislators in Texas failed to advance their proof of citizenship bill (S.B. 16) in the final days of the legislative session. The bill would have imposed a proof of citizenship requirement on both new and existing registered voters. This proposal was among the most extreme that gained momentum this year across 27 states that considered proof of citizenship mandates. 

DOJ appoints new acting chief of the voting section – with history of promoting anti-voter policies.

The U.S. Department of Justice has appointed Maureen Riordan as the new acting chief of the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section. The Voting Section is responsible for enforcing federal voting rights law. Riordan previously worked with the Public Interest Legal Foundation, a group known for litigation promoting aggressive voter roll purges and voting access restrictions. 

Trump administration sues North Carolina State Board of Elections.

The Trump administration has filed a lawsuit against the North Carolina State Board of Elections, alleging that the absence of identification numbers on some voter registration records violates federal law. The lawsuit seeks to compel the board to develop a plan to notify affected voters that their registrations may be cancelled. The state’s supreme court has stated that these registrations were improperly processed, and the newly appointed executive director of the board has committed to bringing the voter rolls into compliance with federal law.

U.S. Supreme Court to review Illinois ballot deadline challenge; declines to hear Pennsylvania provisional ballot case.

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to consider a procedural question in a case challenging Illinois’ postmark grace period for mail ballots. The case was brought by a group of Republican candidates seeking to require states to reject ballots postmarked by Election Day but received afterward. Separately, the court declined to hear an appeal of a Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling requiring that voters whose mail ballots were rejected be allowed to cast provisional ballots in person.

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Our Election Policy Tracker is people-powered – our team of election lawyers read and analyze election-related bills across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. For questions about our methodology or analysis, email tracker@votingrightslab.org.