Michigan House GOP proposes proof-of-citizenship requirement for all voters

A new proposal from a top Michigan House Republican seeks to require would-be voters to provide proof that they are U.S. citizens when they register.

The proposal to amend the state constitution is the latest in a growing movement across the United States to create barriers to noncitizen voting, even though there’s little evidence that a significant number of noncitizens try to vote. Federal laws already ban noncitizens from voting in elections, and the risks for them are high, including felony charges and the loss of their residency status.

Federal law, though, doesn’t require proof of citizenship to register. The federal voter registration form only asks for voters to self-attest their eligibility and asks for a Social Security or driver’s license number to verify identity.

The House joint resolution from Rep. Bryan Posthumus, a Republican from Rockford and the House majority floor leader, would require anyone who registers to vote starting on Dec. 18, 2026, to verify that they are U.S. citizens. Voters who register without that documentation may present those documents later to their community election officials or the secretary of state’s office. Those who have not confirmed their citizenship in time for the election would be required to cast a provisional ballot, which would only be counted if their citizenship is verified within six days after an election.

But the bill would go beyond just newly registering voters. It would require the state to “use an ongoing systematic process” to continually affirm that the people in the qualified voter file — the state’s record of everyone registered to vote — are U.S. citizens. That means retroactive verification for the more than 8 million people on Michigan’s rolls.

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