Republicans in a growing number of states press ahead with Trump’s voting rules

A growing number of Republican-led states are moving swiftly to implement new voting restrictions tied to President Donald Trump’s SAVE America Act as federal legislation has stalled in the US Senate.

“A growing number of Republican-led states are moving swiftly to implement new voting restrictions, plowing ahead on a key plank of President Donald Trump’s agenda that has so far been stuck on Capitol Hill”

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Last week, Republican-controlled legislatures in Utah and South Dakota approved legislation requiring proof of citizenship to vote in state and local elections; those measures now await action by governors.

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On Wednesday, the state Senate in Florida is slated to take up a citizenship verification bill after a companion measure passed the Florida House, and proponents in states controlled by Democrats are pursuing ballot measures like the one in California.

Tens of millions of voters could face new rules and restrictions in future elections even if national legislation never moves forward.

The SAVE America Act passed the US House but has bogged down in the Senate, and the president has stepped up rhetoric linking the rules to his political goals while repeating allegations of widespread fraud.

The president said he will refuse to sign any legislation until Congress enacts new voting rules and has called for additional elements, including ending no-excuse mail-in voting and banning transgender athletes in sports.

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He also told House Republicans at his Doral retreat, "It’ll guarantee the midterms," and warned, "If you don’t get it, big trouble, my opinion."

In Florida, lawmakers advanced a citizenship verification bill that the Republican-controlled House passed 83-31 and that its sponsor, state Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka, framed as continuing Florida’s role "as the gold standard in election integrity."

“A growing number of Republican-led states are moving swiftly to implement new voting restrictions, plowing ahead on a key plank of President Donald Trump’s agenda that has so far been stuck on Capitol Hill”

CNN

The bill would require election officials to verify voters’ citizenship status using information already on file with the state; millions of Floridians have provided citizenship documents to the state motor vehicle agency to comply with Real ID requirements.

Voters whose citizenship cannot be verified could eventually be removed from the rolls if they don’t provide proof, though Persons-Mulicka said voters will be given multiple opportunities to demonstrate eligibility.

Opponents warned the change will ensnare younger, first-time voters, disabled residents and older Floridians who lack driver’s licenses; Brad Ashwell of All Voting is Local said, "Tens of thousands, if not more, US citizens who are seniors who are already registered will be removed or have to provide additional documentation to provide their citizenship."

Miami-area state Rep. Ashley Gantt called the requirements "effectively another poll tax" and described trying to obtain a birth certificate for her aunt, who was born at home in 1950 and never issued a birth certificate.

In California, proponents of a voter ID initiative announced they collected more than 1.3 million signatures, well above the nearly 875,000 required, and the measure is headed for signature verification before it can reach the November ballot.

The initiative would amend the state constitution to require government-issued identification for in-person voting and force mail voters to include the last four digits of a "unique identifying number" on file in registration records, and it would require officials to verify whether registered voters are US citizens and publicly report the percentage whose citizenship could not be determined.

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Proponent Carl DeMaio argued the changes would make voting easier in part because voters’ signatures would no longer have to match those on file, and he said the public would see county-level percentages of unverified citizenship: "It will be quite apparent and transparent to the public, 'Hey, I live in a county where X percent of our voter file has been not been verified for citizenship.'"

Opponents including the ACLU’s Julia Gomez said the four-digit requirement could produce errors and "open up more opportunities for a ballot to not be counted."

The article notes California currently has no in-person ID requirement and that Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2024 signed legislation barring local governments from imposing voter ID after Huntington Beach sought to do so.

Polling shows broad public support for voter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements, and advocates on both sides cite data to support their positions while warning of different risks.

“A growing number of Republican-led states are moving swiftly to implement new voting restrictions, plowing ahead on a key plank of President Donald Trump’s agenda that has so far been stuck on Capitol Hill”

CNN

The article cites a 2025 Pew Research Center finding that 83% of Americans backed requiring government-issued identification and notes a 2024 Gallup poll found a similar share supported proof of citizenship at registration.

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Election experts and Florida officials described noncitizen voting as exceedingly rare; Florida’s Office of Election Crimes and Security identified "at least" 198 likely noncitizens on the voter rolls out of 13.3 million registered voters and referred 170 to law enforcement.

At the same time, groups opposing the new requirements warn of disenfranchisement: a 2024 SSRS survey for the Brennan Center and partners estimated roughly 9% of eligible voters — more than 21 million people — would have difficulty obtaining required documents to prove citizenship, and 2% lack access to them altogether.

The Voting Rights Lab reported the number of citizenship proposals introduced at the state level nearly tripled between 2023 and 2025, and so far this year 15 states have introduced legislation that tracks with the federal proof-of-citizenship proposal.