Federal Election Integrity Act of 2006

The Federal Election Integrity Act of 2006 (H.R. 4844) proposed a national requirement for voters to present a government-issued photo ID to cast a ballot in person for federal elections. Starting in 2010, the bill would have further required that these IDs be issued only after the individual provided proof of U.S. citizenship.

For citizens, this would have meant that those voting in person or by mail would need to provide a copy of a valid photo ID for their vote to be counted, with an exception for overseas military members. To facilitate this, the bill required states to provide photo IDs to citizens who did not have them, and it prohibited states from charging a fee to individuals who could not afford one. If a voter arrived at the polls without the required identification, they would be allowed to cast a provisional ballot but would have to return with a valid ID within 48 hours for their vote to be finalized.