Following intense criticism over an earlier memo, Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson issued new guidance on Friday clarifying how election officials should handle non-citizen driver’s licenses. The revised guidance came after concerns that the original policy could allow non-citizens to vote.
The initial memo, released earlier in the week, stated that limited-term driver’s licenses, which are typically issued to non-citizens, could be used as voter identification if the individual was already on the voter rolls. This created a firestorm of objections, including from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who expressed concern over potential illegal voting.
Nelson’s updated guidance now requires individuals presenting non-citizen licenses to show proof of citizenship before they can cast a regular ballot. “Election workers must not facilitate illegal voting by non-citizens,” Nelson wrote in the memo.
The earlier guidance had allowed voters with non-citizen licenses to use those IDs if they were registered, arguing that some individuals might have become naturalized citizens but failed to update their driver’s licenses. The revised memo tightens this rule by mandating that election workers ask for citizenship documents like a naturalization certificate in such cases.
If a voter cannot provide proof of citizenship, they will be required to vote using a provisional ballot. This stricter policy aims to prevent non-citizens from illegally voting in Texas elections.
As the state prepares for upcoming elections, voter ID laws and citizenship verification remain highly debated topics. Nelson’s revised guidance reflects an effort to address concerns about election integrity while ensuring that only eligible citizens participate in voting.
