The House of Representatives has just approved a new bill of voter eligibility in an effort to protect the integrity of the electoral process. A bill seeking to standardize voter registration procedures across all states and tightening verification measures to ensure that only citizens get registered for voting garnered bipartisan support. It would require proof of citizenship at the time a person is registering to vote and that the rolls of voters be regularly audited, striking off those ineligible.
According to sponsors of the bill, these measures are quite indispensable in ensuring confidence in the process of the election, preventing fraud against the voters, and ensuring that all ballots cast are legitimate. They say it will also help answer questions related to possible noncitizen voting in U.S. elections and further ensure accuracy and reliability in voter data. Opponents argue it will suppress the votes of minorities and lower-income people by raising more barriers to registration. The bill's passage is the latest in a larger, nationwide struggle over voting rights versus election security.
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