Michigan Republicans are pushing a constitutional amendment to put restrictions on non-citizen voting, a practice already made illegal by multiple state and federal laws.
The proposal, known as HJR B, would require applicants to provide some proof of citizenship when registering to vote.
The state constitution already says that an individual must be a U.S. citizen to vote — but it does not lay out any process for confirming those claims.
HJR B would require “documentary proof of United States citizenship,” but does not say what types of documents would be considered sufficient.
“The documentation that a voter can provide to prove their citizenship is left vague and (un)defined intentionally,” said Mariah Bryant, director of democracy engagement for Voters Not Politicians. “In fact, it’s entirely possible that voters would no longer be able to register to vote using their driver’s license or other state provided identification.”
The proposal would require the secretary of state to confirm voters’ citizenship through “all reasonable efforts.”
There is no evidence that non-citizen voting has had an impact on the outcome of any U.S. elections — but there have been cases of some non-citizens being included in voter rolls.
State constitutional amendments must pass through the House and Senate with two-thirds support in each — and with a narrow Republican House majority and Democratic control of the Senate, the resolution is unlikely to move forward.
This story was originally published by 9 and 10 News. Read more here: https://www.9and10news.com/2025/03/13/michigan-gop-amendment-would-require-proof-of-citizenship-to-vote/