Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed legislation on Monday to ensure that only U.S. citizens are eligible to vote in Texas elections, calling the move “crystal clear” in a video message shared on X.
“I just signed off on a joint resolution to make it crystal clear under the Texas Constitution that if you are not a citizen of the United States of America, you are not allowed to vote in Texas,” Abbott stated.
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Republican State Senator Brian Birdwell introduced Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 37 in January, proposing a constitutional amendment to explicitly state that only U.S. citizens can cast votes in Texas elections.
Before this resolution, Texas law already barred individuals under 18, those deemed mentally incompetent by a court, and felons from voting. The new amendment adds another group to that list: “persons who are not citizens of the United States.”
The resolution passed the state senate in April and the house in May. Although Abbott has signed it, Texas voters will make the final decision this November on whether to ratify the amendment into the state constitution.
Meanwhile, a federal judge recently blocked an executive order from former President Donald Trump requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register for federal elections.
Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia granted injunctions against two provisions in Trump’s March 25 order. One would have compelled the Election Assistance Commission to amend voter registration forms; the other required federal agencies to assess citizenship status for individuals registering through public assistance programs.
“Our Constitution entrusts Congress and the States — not the President — with the authority to regulate federal elections,” Kollar-Kotelly wrote, noting that no law gives the Executive Branch power to bypass Congress in this way.
As debates over election integrity continue, 25 states are currently considering proof-of-citizenship voting laws, according to the Voting Rights Lab. So far, 15 state constitutions already ban non-citizen voting outright.
