GOP Lawmakers Introduce New Bills Aimed at Noncitizen Voting Restrictions
House Republicans have unveiled a new set of election security legislation in preparation for the 2026 midterm elections.
Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas), the chair of the Republican Study Committee, introduced three bills earlier this week aimed at enhancing election security.
Pfluger’s legislative package is cosponsored by four Republican lawmakers. Below is an overview of Pfluger’s initiative, which consists of three bills designed to prohibit noncitizens from voting in Washington D.C., prevent noncitizens from overseeing elections, and ensure that only citizens can participate in U.S. elections.
The first bill seeks to ban individuals who are not U.S. citizens from “voting in elections within the District of Columbia and to repeal the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2022,” as per its provisions.
In 2022, the D.C. City Council passed a bill allowing noncitizens over the age of 18 to vote in local elections if they had resided in the district for at least 30 days before the local election. This measure permitted noncitizens to vote for local offices such as mayor, council member, and attorney general, though it did not extend to federal elections.
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Last year, the House voted to repeal the D.C. law, but the Senate never acted on the proposal.
Pfluger’s proposal would forbid the employment of individuals who are not U.S. citizens to oversee elections for federal offices in either state or local jurisdictions.
Amendment to the US Constitution
The third bill suggests an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would disallow noncitizens, non-nationals, and individuals who are not lawful permanent residents of the United States from voting in elections.
A federal statute enacted in 1996 prohibits noncitizens from participating in federal elections, with those who vote unlawfully facing penalties such as fines, imprisonment, or deportation. However, this law does not prevent states or localities from granting noncitizens the right to vote in local elections.
