Protecting American Voters Act

The Protecting American Voters Act (H.R. 3162) requires federal agencies to assist state election officials in verifying the citizenship status of individuals who are registered to vote or applying to register for federal elections. Under this bill, the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration must provide states with the necessary data to confirm U.S. citizenship upon request and at no cost to the state.

For citizens, the practical impact of this legislation is an increase in data-sharing between federal and state governments to ensure voter rolls only include eligible U.S. citizens. The bill also mandates that states use this information to remove any noncitizens identified on their official lists of eligible voters.