After instructing poll workers last week to give ballots to people who present a noncitizen driver’s license, the Texas secretary of state updated the guidance to require those voters to also provide proof of naturalization.
“[E]lection workers have an obligation under state criminal law not to facilitate illegal voting by non-citizens,” reads a Friday memo from Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson to election officials regarding the updated guidance. “When an individual attempts to vote by presenting a temporary or limited-term driver’s license (which federal regulations say must be issued only to non-citizens who are lawfully present in this country) election workers must require that the individual produce a naturalization card or naturalization certificate demonstrating U.S. citizenship to receive a regular ballot.”
Nelson said the change came after the state’s attorney general did not respond to her office’s request for a “formal legal opinion” on “this important issue.”
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, told The Federalist the updated guidance is a “good step” in the right direction.
“It is critically important that Texas take every legal step necessary to ensure that not a single noncitizen votes,” Roy said. “The secretary of state’s modified guidance was a good step in that direction. I think we need to have continued conversation ensuring that we’ve done all we can do … and the Texas legislature should clarify the law further to ensure integrity in our elections.”
Brian Harrison, a Republican Texas state representative who worked with Roy and others to have the guidance amended
