Amid rising concerns over election integrity, Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson issued revised guidance on Friday night regarding the use of non-citizen driver’s licenses as voter identification. The updated memo followed an earlier advisory that sparked a backlash from lawmakers, including Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who feared it might enable non-citizens to vote.
The controversy began earlier in the week when Nelson’s office sent out guidance allowing non-citizen licenses to be used for voter identification if the individual was already registered to vote. This raised alarms that non-citizens could gain access to voting, leading to a swift outcry.
In her revised memo, Nelson clarified that voters presenting a non-citizen driver’s license must now provide proof of U.S. citizenship before casting a regular ballot. “Election workers have an obligation under state criminal law not to facilitate illegal voting by non-citizens,” Nelson wrote.
The updated guidance stressed that election workers should require individuals presenting limited-term or temporary licenses—typically issued to non-citizens—to show a naturalization certificate or another form of citizenship verification. If the individual cannot provide proof of citizenship, they will be given a provisional ballot, pending further verification.
The initial memo had allowed individuals with non-citizen licenses to vote if they were on the voter rolls. Nelson’s office reasoned that some voters could have become naturalized citizens after receiving their limited-term licenses and failed to update their ID status.
However, the revised memo takes a stricter approach, aiming to prevent any confusion or potential for illegal voting. This guidance follows broader concerns across the state about election integrity as Texas heads into critical elections, with debates over voter ID laws and citizenship verification continuing to intensify.
