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Fortifying the Republic: Conservatives Lead Charge to Ensure Only Citizens Vote
As the 2026 midterms approach, Election Integrity Network and our partners are rallying to safeguard American elections by ensuring only U.S. citizens vote. A key battleground is the Election Assistance Commission's (EAC) federal voter registration form, which currently relies on a mere checkbox for citizenship attestation—leaving room for fraud amid rising illegal immigration.
In July 2025, America First Legal (AFL) petitioned the EAC to mandate documentary proof of citizenship (DPOC), such as passports, birth certificates, or REAL IDs, amending 11 C.F.R. § 9428.4. This aligns with President Trump's March 2025 Executive Order 14248, specifically Section 2(a)(i), which directs the EAC to require DPOC on the national mail voter registration form within 30 days, enforcing federal laws like 52 U.S.C. 20508 and prioritizing data-sharing for voter roll purges.
Over 290,000 comments have flooded in, but the deadline to submit yours is October 20, 2025—just days away. Your voice can help tip the scales: Visit Regulations.gov (docket EAC-2025-0001) and affirm, "Only U.S. citizens should vote in U.S. elections."
The Election Assistance Commission: Guardian or Gatekeeper?
The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC), established by the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002, is an independent, bipartisan federal agency tasked with assisting state and local election officials in modernizing and securing the voting process. (Help America Vote Act of 2002, Pub. L. No. 107-252, 116 Stat. 1666 (2002).) Based in Silver Spring, Maryland, the EAC develops voluntary voting system guidelines, accredits testing labs, certifies equipment, and maintains the National Mail Voter Registration Form used for federal elections. It also administers the Election Support Program, distributing HAVA funds and providing resources on accessibility, cybersecurity, and best practices.
However, the EAC falls short on citizenship verification. The federal form relies on a checkbox attesting to U.S. citizenship without requiring documentary proof, creating a vulnerability exploited amid rising illegal immigration. (source)Cleta Mitchell, founder and chair of the Election Integrity Network (EIN), warns that this laxity invites fraud, eroding trust in the ballot box. (source) The EAC’s potential to mandate proof of citizenship could be pivotal in closing these gaps.
The Biden Border Surge: A Flood of Potential Voters
The Biden-Harris administration’s border policies fueled an unprecedented wave of illegal immigration, increasing the risk of non-citizen voting. From January 2021 to January 2025, the illegal immigrant population surged from 10.2 million to 15.8 million—a 55% increase. (source) Over 5.4 million illegal aliens were released into the U.S. interior, with Customs and Border Protection encountering more than 10 million at the southwest border. (source) This influx, driven by catch-and-release practices and parole programs issuing Social Security numbers, accounted for nearly two-thirds of foreign-born population growth. (source) The Heritage Foundation estimates an additional 6.7 million illegal inflows, a 460% spike from prior levels, while deportations, including of criminal non-citizens, plummeted. (source)
Recent evidence underscores this threat: in Michigan, a 2025 review identified 15 non-citizens who voted in the 2024 election, with 13 cases referred for criminal charges. (source) (source). Oregon’s DMV errors in 2024 added 1,561 non-citizens to voter rolls.(source) In Texas, 63 registrations were canceled in 2024 for confirmed non-citizenship, with 124 others for non-response to inquiries with 581 removals over three years. (source) These incidents, highlight vulnerabilities that demand stronger safeguards to prevent vote dilution.
Election Integrity Network Sounds the Alarm: From Threat Identification to the Super SAVE Act
Cleta has been a leading voice in highlighting non-citizen voting risks. She partnered with Utah Senator Mike Lee and Texas Representative Chip Roy to craft the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. (H.R. 8281, Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, 118th Cong. (2024).) Introduced in 2024 and passed by the House in April 2025, the SAVE Act mandates documentary proof of citizenship—such as a driver’s license or passport—for federal voter registration and empowers states to purge non-citizens using federal databases. In September 2025, Cleta called for a “Super SAVE Act” at a Tea Party Patriots’ Only Citizens’ Vote D.C. rally, proposing nationwide database mandates and penalties for non-compliant states to counter opposition. (source)
Building Momentum: The Only Citizens Vote Coalition Rallies the Nation
Under Cleta’s leadership, the Only Citizens Vote Coalition, launched by the Election Integrity Network in September of 2024, unites grassroots and strategic partners to demand proof of citizenship for voter registration. (source) The Only Citizens Vote Coalition website, onlycitizensvotecoalition.com, serves as a hub, rallying state legislators, congressional leaders, election officials, and groups like Heritage Action for America, Tea Party Patriots Action, and the Federation for American Immigration Reform. (source)
The coalition provides resources like memes, Letters to the Editor drafts, radio talking points, rally toolkits, and legislative guides. (source) During National Only Citizens Vote Week (September 16-20, 2024), coinciding with early voting, daily themes and toolkits mobilized thousands to push for the SAVE Act’s passage and inspire state-level verification bills, fueling a nationwide movement for election integrity. (AMAC Newsline, "Only Citizens Vote Week, Sept. 16-20: AMAC Action Weekly Advocacy Update.")
States Take the Lead: Constitutional Amendments Seal the Deal
Frustrated by federal inaction, voters in eight states—Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin—approved constitutional amendments in November 2024 to ban non-citizen voting, often by 70-80% margins. (source) Wisconsin’s referendum, a battleground indicator, showed strong bipartisan support. (source) These victories spurred over 160 state bills on citizenship verification. (source) Michigan is now considering a similar amendment, driven by 2025 findings of non-citizen voting.10 In Texas, April 2025 hearings raised concerns that Republicans may lack easy access to citizenship documents, per a 2024 study, highlighting challenges to address.12 These state efforts underscore the need for federal standardization.
The U.S. Citizens Elections Bill of Rights: A National Compact Against Fraud
Drafted by Election Integrity Network in fall 2024, the U.S. Citizens Elections Bill of Rights outlines ten principles to restore election trust, with a core tenet: “Only U.S. Citizens Participate in U.S. Elections, in Any Manner,” mandating strict citizenship checks. (source) Other pillars include voter ID, paper ballots with audits, no foreign funding, and secure military voting. It prohibits non-citizen involvement in polling or campaigns and calls for legislative partnerships to enact these safeguards, serving as a citizen-driven proclamation to secure the republic’s voting rights. (source)
Trump’s Executive Hammer: Enforcing Integrity from the Top
President Trump’s Executive Order 14248, issued March 25, 2025, titled “Protecting the Integrity of American Elections,” enforces federal law to combat non-citizen voting. (Exec. Order No. 14248, 90 Fed. Reg. 12345 (March 25, 2025)) It mandates documentary proof of citizenship on the national mail-in voter registration form, compels agencies like DHS and SSA to share data for voter roll purges, and prioritizes prosecutions while withholding funds from non-compliant states.
Section 2(a)(i) directs the EAC to require proof like U.S. passports, REAL ID-compliant IDs, military IDs, or government-issued photo IDs with citizenship documentation within 30 days. Section 4 authorizes withholding federal funds from non-compliant states. The order reverses Biden’s use of agencies as “voter turnout centers,” bans foreign nationals from election roles, and mandates paper backups.30 USCIS updated its SAVE tool in 2025 to enhance citizenship verification, offering rapid responses and record corrections. (source) Backed by 80% public support for voter ID, the order makes non-citizen voting a federal crime with swift deportation consequences. (source)
Grassroots Thunder: Tea Party Patriots’ Bus Tour and D.C. Rally
The Tea Party Patriots’ “Only Citizens Vote” Bus Tour, launched in August 2025 with partners like Election Integrity Network, Election Transparency Initiative, and the Immigration Accountability Project, rallied thousands to demand SAVE Act passage. (source) Starting in California and spanning states like Texas, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Maryland, it culminated in a September 10, 2025, rally at D.C.’s Upper Senate Park, pressuring Congress to attach SAVE to must-pass bills. (source) Rosemary Jenks of the Immigration Accountability Project highlighted how Biden’s border surge endangers elections. (source)
The Decisive Stroke: America First Legal’s EAC Petition—and Why It Matters Now
America First Legal’s July 2025 petition to the EAC demands documentary proof of citizenship on the federal voter form, amending 11 C.F.R. § 9428.4 to end the checkbox system. (source) Filed on July 16, 2025, it invokes HAVA’s rulemaking authority to require “Documentary Proof of Citizenship (DPOC)” for federal registrations, citing audits like Virginia’s (1,500+ non-citizens on rolls in 2023) and Texas’s (100,000 potential non-citizens in 2022) and federal laws prohibiting non-citizen voting. DPOC, using accessible documents like passports or birth certificates, is a commonsense safeguard without undue burden. (America First Legal, Petition for Rulemaking, Docket EAC-2025-0001) The petition urges swift EAC action to bypass congressional gridlock. Over 290,000 comments have been submitted, those in support of AFL’s petition cite cases like Michigan’s 15 non-citizen voters, Oregon’s registration errors, and Georgia’s audit blocking 1,634 non-citizen attempts over 25 years.9,11, (source)
Critics claim DPOC burdens groups like married women or low-income voters, but alternatives like REAL IDs and provisional ballots counter this, ensuring protection without suppression. (source)
EIN and partners have been raising awareness about this issue and urging comments in favor of America First Legal’s petition since August. (source) Click here to see Cleta’s instructional video reviewing how to submit a comment on Regulations.gov in under five minutes.
The October 20 deadline is days away. Submit your comment at Regulations.gov (docket EAC-2025-0001), echoing AFL’s call: “Only U.S. citizens should vote in U.S. elections.”
Your voice, backed by evidence of non-citizen voting risks, could ensure the EAC acts to protect America’s elections.