This bill is a necessary step to verify that those who vote in federal elections are citizens of the United States.
March 16, 2023
The Honorable Pat Fallon
4th Congressional District of Texas
2416 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Byron Donalds
19th Congressional District of Florida
1719 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Congressmen Fallon and Donalds,
On behalf of over 2 million members of AMAC – the Association of Mature American Citizens, including more than 9,000 residing in TX-04 and over 10,000 residing in FL-19, I write in support of H.R. 627, the Verification Of The Electorate (VOTE) Act. This bill is a necessary step to verify that those who vote in federal elections are citizens of the United States.
While true that it is already a crime under federal law for non-citizens to register and vote in federal elections (18 U.S.C. § 611; 42 U.S.C. § 1973gg-10(2); 18 U.S.C. § 1015(f)), the problem is that election officials are relying on a simple declaratory statement as proof of citizenship. Evidence exists that non-citizens are registering and voting in U.S. elections (https://www.fairus.org/sites/default/files/2020-07/Noncitizens-Voting-0720.pdf) and some jurisdictions are moving to allow non-citizens to vote in local elections!
Unfortunately, the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 has been interpreted by some to indicate that states cannot require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections. In 2013, the Supreme Court ruled against Arizona’s proof of citizenship requirement in Arizona v. Inter-Tribal Council. And in 2021, a federal court ruled that the executive director of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) violated federal law when he allowed three states to require proof of citizenship on their federal voter registration forms.
It is highly unlikely that on its own the EAC will ever authorize states to add a proof of citizenship component to their voter registration process. Further, the courts may never overturn previous rulings and find that states may change their election laws to include proof of citizenship requirements. It is up to Congress to implement a remedy to this problem. It is essential that citizens are ensured their votes are not devalued or diluted at a time when an unprecedented number of illegal aliens are flooding the country and the Biden Justice Department is conducting lawfare to prevent any state from ensuring that those who vote are U.S. citizens (United States v. Arizona was filed 07/05/2022).
It is essential that we require proof of citizenship to guarantee only U.S. citizens are voting in our elections. AMAC thanks you, Representatives Fallon and Donalds, for your leadership and as an organization representing Americans who hold sacred their precious right to vote, we are pleased to offer our full support for H.R. 627, the Verification Of The Electorate Act (VOTE) Act.
Sincerely,
Bob Carlstrom
President
AMAC Action
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