The Florida House of Representatives passed House Bill 991 on Wednesday in an 83-31 party-line vote, advancing legislation that requires proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration and restricts acceptable forms of identification at polling places.
Sponsored by Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka (R-Fort Myers), the bill mandates that new voter registration applicants swear or affirm their citizenship under penalty of perjury.
Citizenship status must be verified via records from the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV). If verification fails, the applicant is registered as an “unverified voter” and must cast a provisional ballot—counted only if citizenship proof (such as a birth certificate or passport) is provided to the county supervisor of elections by 5 p.m. on the second day after Election Day.
The measure also limits voter ID options by eliminating non-governmental forms, including student IDs, retirement center IDs, neighborhood association IDs, and public assistance IDs. Acceptable IDs will be restricted to government-issued documents: Florida driver’s licenses or state IDs, U.S. passports, military/veteran health IDs, and U.S. uniformed services or Merchant Marine IDs.
Additional provisions require all voting on official paper ballots marked by pen or marker and mandate automated, independent audits of voting systems in at least 20% of randomly selected precincts in each county, with results publicized before final certification.
By July 1, 2027, DHSMV must include a legal status designation on all new or renewed driver’s licenses and ID cards issued to U.S. citizens.
Persons-Mulicka called the bill essential for election integrity, likening it to the federal SAVE Act, and stated on the House floor: “A vote for this bill is a vote for our constitution.”
Democrats and voting rights advocates opposed the measure, arguing it risks disenfranchising eligible voters, including elderly residents born during the Jim Crow era who may lack formal birth certificates and out-of-state students.
A companion bill, SB 1334, sponsored by Sen. Erin Grall (R), is advancing in the Senate. If passed in similar form, the legislation would go to Gov. Ron DeSantis for signature. Most provisions take effect January 1, 2027, with some data-sharing and reporting requirements starting July 1, of this year.
