Florida’s Republican-led Legislature passed an elections bill on Thursday that would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship for people registering to vote and would bar student IDs from being used as identification at the polls. The measure now heads to Gov. Ron DeSantis.
On Thursday, the Florida House passed the bill 77-28 after the state Senate approved it 27-12 earlier the same day, sending the measure to Gov. Ron DeSantis. The votes largely followed party lines, according to reporting by The Daily Wire.
The legislation is modeled on the federal Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, sometimes referred to by supporters as the “SAVE America Act,” which would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration in federal elections.
As described by The Daily Wire, the Florida bill would require proof of citizenship as part of the voter registration process and would expand coordination between election officials and state agencies used to confirm voter eligibility. Axios, which reviewed the House and Senate proposals, reported that acceptable documents would include items such as a valid U.S. passport, a birth certificate or a REAL ID-compliant credential, and noted that the measure would also apply to voters who update their registration.
DeSantis praised the bill on social media, writing: “Although Florida has already enacted much of what the federal legislation contemplates, this will further fortify our state as the leader in election integrity,” The Daily Wire reported.
Florida voters added a constitutional prohibition on non-citizen voting in 2020. Supporters of the new bill say it is aimed at strengthening how the state verifies citizenship during the registration process.
The bill would also prohibit the use of student identification cards as an acceptable form of ID for in-person voting, a provision highlighted by both Axios and other Florida election reporting.
The new requirements would not take effect until 2027, a delay supporters say is intended to give state agencies and county election supervisors time to update systems and procedures.
