The 10 Promises › Proposal 9 › Legislative Outline

9. Election Integrity Act: Legislative Outline

Model Legislative Outline, not final bill text. It needs drafting by legislative counsel. Version 2.1, revised November 4, 2026.

This Act may be cited as the “Election Integrity Act”.

Purpose

To make federal elections easy to vote in and hard to cheat, with ID, paper ballots, audits, clean rolls, and proof of citizenship.

Principal Requirements

Sec. 4. Photo ID

• Photo ID required to vote in person in federal elections.
• Mail ballots: the voter writes the number of a qualifying ID, or the last four digits of a Social Security number, or encloses a copy of a qualifying ID.
• Each State issues a free ID, and the underlying documents (such as a certified birth certificate), to any citizen who needs one; the federal government reimburses the cost.
• Amends 52 U.S.C. 21083.

Sec. 5. Paper ballots and audits

• Voter-marked paper ballots for every federal race.
• Before certification, a hand-count audit of a random sample of ballots large enough to confirm the outcome, expanded to a full hand count if the sample disagrees.
• Amends the Help America Vote Act (52 U.S.C. 20901 et seq.).

Sec. 6. Clean voter rolls

• Regular list maintenance against death, change-of-address, and citizenship records.
• A match requires name, date of birth, and at least one other identifier.
• Before removal: forwardable mailed notice, 30 days to respond, and an appeal. No systematic removals within 90 days of a federal election. A voter whose status is in question may cast a provisional ballot.
• Amends the National Voter Registration Act (52 U.S.C. 20501 et seq.).

Sec. 7. Proof of citizenship to register

• Documentary proof of citizenship required to register for federal elections.
• A citizen without documents may sign a sworn statement; the State confirms citizenship through vital records and federal databases, with a hearing if it cannot.

Definitions and Eligibility

• “Qualifying ID”: a current or recently expired government-issued photo ID, including a driver’s license, state ID, passport, military ID, or tribal ID.
• “Documentary proof of citizenship”: a U.S. passport, birth certificate, naturalization certificate, or another document listed by the Election Assistance Commission.

Existing Law Affected

• Help America Vote Act (52 U.S.C. 20901 et seq.)
• National Voter Registration Act (52 U.S.C. 20501 et seq.)

Implementation Timeline

• Federal elections beginning 18 months after enactment.

Responsible Agencies

Election Assistance Commission; Department of Justice; state and local election officials.

Enforcement and Appeals

The Attorney General may sue to enforce this Act. Voters may sue over wrongful removal or denial of a free ID.

Fiscal Implications

Federal grants to States for IDs, paper ballots, and audits. No official estimate yet.

See the fiscal appendix for cited estimates.

Constitutional Questions

Congress may regulate congressional elections under the Elections Clause (Article I, Section 4); Arizona v. Inter Tribal Council (2013) confirmed that power, and Crawford v. Marion County (2008) upheld a photo ID law. Congress’s power over presidential elections (Article II, Section 1) is narrower and debated.

Legislative Instrument Required

Bill (H.R.) with a Senate companion bill (S.).

Severability: if any provision, or its application to any person or circumstance, is held invalid, the rest of the measure and its other applications are not affected.

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