America First Legal has filed a formal petition urging the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to amend the federal voter registration form to require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship (DPOC) when registering to vote in federal elections.
The federal voter registration form, created under the 1993 National Voter Registration Act, currently allows applicants to affirm citizenship by simply checking a box and signing the form, with no requirement to submit any verifying documents. AFL argues this “honor system” invites abuse and undermines election integrity by enabling illegal aliens to register and vote without consequence.
AFL’s petition proposes that the form be updated to require documents such as a Real ID, military ID, or U.S. passport, similar to measures adopted in states like Arizona, Georgia, Alabama, and Kansas.Court rulings have blocked full enforcement of these laws for federal elections, due to the federal form’s lack of a DPOC requirement. In Arizona, for example, over 40,000 individuals are currently registered to vote in federal elections without submitting any proof of citizenship—nearly four times the margin of Biden’s 2020 “victory” in the state.
The AFL filing follows President Trump’s March 25, 2025 Executive Order 14248, which directed the EAC to implement a DPOC requirement. Federal courts in Washington, D.C., and Massachusetts temporarily blocked that mandate, questioning the president’s authority to compel the agency. Nonetheless, those courts affirmed the EAC’s power to impose such a rule independently.
AFL’s petition now places the issue squarely before the EAC, invoking a provision of federal law that allows public petitions for rulemaking. Should the agency fail to act, AFL reserves the right to sue to compel a response. The group says it will monitor the commission closely to ensure prompt action.
Read the Petition for Rulemaking
