VOTER UPDATE: Proof of Citizenship Requirements

THE PROBLEM

In 2025, the Iowa legislature passed a bill that, if you are flagged as a potential non-citizen, you will be required to show proof of citizenship at the polls. Unfortunately, there is growing evidence that databases being used to confirm citizenship, including the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) database and the new federal SAVE database are prone to frequent errors. This means that naturalized citizens are being wrongly flagged, particularly those more recently naturalized.

If you are a recently naturalized citizen who has registered to vote, you may find that:

  • Your voter registration status is “unconfirmed.”
  • You have been removed from the voter rolls.
  • You are challenged at the polls and required to show proof of citizenship.
Check Your Voter Registration Status

Important Notes: If you are flagged as a non-citizen registered to vote, you should get a notice from the Secretary of State (SOS) or county auditor. However, it is not clear whether and when that will happen relative to the start of early voting. So, people may remain unaware of the problem until they are challenged at the polls. Also, the SOS has not yet issued instructions on what documents will serve as proof of citizenship and sufficient ID at the polls.

We will update information as it becomes available on this page. Stay informed and help spread the word!

SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS

Long Term Solutions

  1. Call your local DMV office. Ask them if their records show you are a non-citizen. If so, ask them what you will need to do to get or renew a Driver’s License or Non-driver ID that includes “the real ID” designation verifying your citizenship.
  2. Apply for and receive an American passport.

More Immediate Solution

Call your County Auditor’s Office and ask them what you need to do to get your registration status changed to “active.”

What If I Can’t Solve the Problem Before I Go to the Polls?

If you are flagged as a potential non-citizen, you are likely to be challenged at the polls. When the SOS tells us what documents you will need to prove citizenship, then you must take them to the polls to show them to the poll worker.

If you forget to and don’t have time to go get them, you will need to vote a provisional ballot. In order for your vote to be counted, you must take proof of citizenship to your County Auditor’s Office before closing time on the first Monday after Election Day.

Spread the word in your community. Help to protect the vote for yourself, your family, your neighbors and all of Iowa’s voters.