Adds to existing law to provide that only citizens of the United States may vote in public elections and to provide certain penalties for violations.
House Bill 94 would add a new section to Idaho election law stating that only United States citizens may vote in any public election in the state, including primaries, general elections, federal, state, and local races, as well as ballot measures, constitutional amendments, initiatives, and referenda. It also requires that only U.S. citizens be registered to vote in Idaho.
The bill directs the secretary of state to verify the citizenship status of all registered voters by comparing voter registration records with citizenship information from the Idaho Transportation Department, the federal Help America Vote Verification Information System, and other available databases. If citizenship cannot be confirmed, the registrant must be removed from the eligible voter list, notified in writing, and given an opportunity to provide proof of citizenship to be restored. Beginning July 1, 2025, new voter registrations could not be accepted unless citizenship is confirmed through one or more of the specified databases. Willful violations of the prohibition on noncitizen voting would be treated as the crime of attempting to vote when not qualified under existing Idaho law.
The bill would amend Chapter 4, Title 34 of the Idaho Code by creating a new citizenship-verification framework for voter registration and list maintenance. It would expand the secretary of state’s responsibilities to include cross-checking voter rolls against state and federal databases, removing unverified registrants, and managing a notice-and-proof process for reinstatement. It would also tie noncitizen voting to existing criminal penalties for attempting to vote when not qualified, and it would take effect July 1, 2025 under an emergency clause.
No committee transcript or recorded vote information was provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or partisan division in the supplied materials. Based on the bill text and caption, the measure appears to be framed as an election-integrity and citizenship-verification proposal, which typically attracts support from lawmakers concerned about preventing noncitizen voting. At the same time, the mandatory database checks, removal of unconfirmed registrants, and proof-of-citizenship requirement suggest the bill could raise administrative and access concerns for election officials and affected voters.
The main points of contention are likely to be the scope and reliability of the citizenship verification process, the risk of removing eligible voters whose citizenship cannot be confirmed through available databases, and the burden placed on registrants to prove citizenship after being flagged. Supporters would likely emphasize preventing unlawful voting and strengthening election integrity, while critics may focus on potential false positives, privacy concerns, database accuracy, and the possibility of disenfranchising eligible citizens who lack readily available documentation.