Proposed Law Mandates Photo ID and Citizenship Proof for Federal Voting Starting 2026; Changes How Congressional Seats Are Counted

The “Making American Elections Great Again Act” is a major overhaul of how the U.S. government counts its population and how federal elections are run. This bill focuses on two massive changes: first, it changes who counts toward political representation, and second, it imposes strict, new identification requirements on every single person voting in a federal election.

The Count That Changes Everything: Citizens Only

Right now, the Census counts everyone living here—citizens, legal residents, and non-citizens alike—and that total population figure is used to decide how many seats each state gets in the House of Representatives (a process called apportionment). This bill, under Section 2, fundamentally changes that. Going forward, only U.S. citizens will be counted for the purpose of dividing up Congressional seats and, by extension, Electoral College votes.

What does this mean in real life? States with large populations of non-citizens, like California, Texas, and New York, could see their overall representation shrink because significant portions of their population base would no longer count toward their total. This shift would move political power toward states where citizens make up a higher percentage of the total population. The bill also requires the Census Bureau to start asking about citizenship status on the decennial count and institutes a new, mandatory mid-decade census every five years to keep the numbers fresh.

New Hurdles for the Ballot Box

Section 3 of this Act introduces a huge change to federal voting rules, scheduled to start in November 2026. For any federal election—President, Senate, or House—voters must now present both a government-issued photo ID and separate proof of U.S. citizenship.

Think about that second requirement. It’s not just showing your driver’s license anymore. If you’re voting in person, you’ll need two documents (or one that covers both), and if you’re voting by mail, you must include copies of those documents with your ballot. If you use two documents, the names on them must match exactly, or you have to bring or mail in proof of a name change, like a marriage certificate.

What counts as proof of citizenship? The list is specific: a U.S. passport, a certified birth certificate, a naturalization certificate, or certain military records, among others. If you show up without the required documents, you can cast a provisional ballot, but it won't count unless election officials can later verify your citizenship. For a busy person who just wants to cast a ballot after work, this adds a significant layer of administrative friction.

The Practical Impact: Time, Cost, and Access

While the goal is to ensure only citizens vote, the practical effect is that it puts the burden of proof squarely on the voter. Eligible citizens who are elderly, low-income, or live in rural areas often lack easy access to these specific documents or may not have the time or money to track down their birth certificate or passport. Even if you were born here, finding a certified copy of a decades-old birth certificate can involve fees and bureaucratic delays.

Furthermore, the bill adds criminal penalties for election officials who fail to strictly enforce these ID rules, which could lead to cautious officials turning away eligible voters to avoid legal risk. The requirement that mail-in voters submit copies of sensitive documents like passports or birth certificates also raises privacy and security concerns for many voters. This entire section significantly raises the bar for participation, potentially making it much harder for millions of eligible, busy Americans to cast their vote.