A coalition of 14 Republican-led states on Monday pressed the U.S. Election Assistance Commission to adopt new federal rules requiring documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote.
The effort, led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, supports a petition from America First Legal, founded by Trump adviser Stephen Miller, calling for amendments to federal voter registration regulations under the National Voter Registration Act.
In their joint letter to the EAC, the attorneys general argued that the current system, relying only on applicants’ sworn statements of citizenship, invites fraud and undermines confidence in elections. They cited President Trump’s Executive Order 14248, which directs federal agencies to safeguard the integrity of U.S. elections, saying the proposed rule would advance that mandate and reduce administrative strain on states.
The letter was signed by attorneys general from Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, and West Virginia.
The EAC will now decide whether to advance the petition through formal rulemaking, a move that could reshape federal voter registration standards ahead of the 2026 midterms.
