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In the United States, **citizenship is legally required** to register and cast a vote in **federal, state, and most statewide and local elections**. However, **proof of citizenship**—such as providing a birth certificate, passport, or naturalization papers—is **not universally required in practice**, and generally not needed unless specified by state law.
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Citizenship Requirement to Register and Vote
* Federal law (the **National Voter Registration Act of 1993**), uses a **federal registration form** that requires applicants to **attest under penalty of perjury** that they are U.S. citizens. It does **not require documentary proof** of citizenship. ([Ballotpedia][1], [Wikipedia][2])
* As a result, in **most states**, **attesting to citizenship** is sufficient—**no documents are needed** unless the state law says otherwise. ([Law Stack Exchange][3], [Wikipedia][4])
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State‑by‑State: Who Must Prove Citizenship?
According to Ballotpedia and recent updates:
* As of **mid‑2025**, **seven states** had passed laws requiring proof of U.S. citizenship to register: **Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming**. ([Ballotpedia][1])
* **Kansas’s law** was struck down by court and is no longer enforced.
* **Georgia and Louisiana** have laws on the books but have **not yet implemented** them.
* The only state currently enforcing the requirement is **Wyoming**, which requires proof for **new registrations and updates**. ([Ballotpedia News][5])
* In **Arizona**, proof is still enforced: otherwise applicants become “federal‑only” registrants (able to vote only in federal races if citizenship is not verified). ([politifact.com][6])
* In **all other states**, no documentary proof of citizenship is required—simply checking the citizenship box on the form suffices to register for both federal and state elections. ([Wikipedia][4])
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Proposed National Changes (SAVE Act & Executive Order)
* In **March 2025**, former President Trump signed an **executive order** and the **House passed** the **SAVE Act** (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act). These measures aimed to require **documentary proof of citizenship** at the time of voter registration for federal elections. ([findlaw.com][7])
* However, **federal courts have blocked key provisions**, ruling they likely overstep presidential authority and conflict with state-managed election processes. Several courts issued **preliminary injunctions** against enforcing the citizenship‑documentation mandate. ([apnews.com][8])
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Summary Table
**Situation** | **Proof of Citizenship Required?** |
Most U.S. states, using federal or state form | No (attestation under penalty of perjury) |
**Arizona (state law enforced)** | Yes (or applicant gets "federal‑only" ballot status) |
**Wyoming** | Yes for new registrations & updates |
**Alabama, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire** | Yes on paper, but **not currently enforced** (KS struck down; GA & LA not implemented) |
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So, do you need proof of citizenship?
* **Generally, no.** In most places, registering requires only attesting you’re a citizen.
* Only a **handful of states** explicitly require documentation—and currently, **only Wyoming and Arizona enforce it**.
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Legal Backdrop
* Federal law **preempts state rules requiring proof** with the uniform federal form, according to the **2013 Supreme Court decision** overturning Arizona’s attempt. ([Ballotpedia][1], [Wikipedia][4])
* **Court rulings** have also blocked nationwide enforcement efforts like executive orders or SAVE Act provisions, affirming that states administer election procedures. ([apnews.com][8], [reuters.com][9])
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Bottom Line
* **Citizenship is always required** to register and vote.
* But with **few exceptions**, **documentary proof is not required**—a signed statement usually suffices.
* Exceptions exist only in a few states, and currently **only a couple actively enforce** those rules.
* National-level proposals to mandate documents have so far been **legally blocked**.
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If you’d like specifics for your state, I can look that up too!
[1]:
https://ballotpedia.org/Proof_of_citize ... hatgpt.com "Proof of citizenship requirements for voter registration by state"
[2]:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_ ... hatgpt.com "National Voter Registration Act of 1993"
[3]:
https://law.stackexchange.com/questions ... hatgpt.com "Do all US states require proof of citizenship in order to vote in ..."
[4]:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voter_ide ... hatgpt.com "Voter identification laws in the United States"
[5]:
https://news.ballotpedia.org/2025/07/21 ... hatgpt.com "A look at state laws requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration"
[6]:
https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2 ... hatgpt.com "Do states verify citizenship of voters in federal elections?"
[7]:
https://www.findlaw.com/legalblogs/law- ... hatgpt.com "FAQs About the Voter ID Executive Order - FindLaw"
[8]:
https://apnews.com/article/4f863aaa8e0c ... hatgpt.com "Judge blocks Trump's election executive order, siding with Democrats who called it overreach"
[9]:
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-jud ... hatgpt.com "US judge blocks Trump administration from overhauling federal elections"