NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee’s top election office has sent letters to more than 14,000 registered voters asking them to prove their citizenship, a move that alarmed voting rights advocates as possible intimidation.
The letters, dated June 13, warned that it is illegal in Tennessee for noncitizens to vote and provided instructions on how to update voter information. The list was developed after comparing voter rolls with data from the state Department of Safety and Homeland Security, said Doug Kufner, spokesperson for the Secretary of State’s office, in a statement Tuesday.
Kufner described the data from the state’s homeland security department as a “snapshot” of a person’s first interaction with that agency. Some may not have been U.S. citizens when they obtained a driver’s license or ID card but have since been naturalized and “likely did not update their records,” he said.
“Accurate voter rolls are a vital component to ensuring election integrity, and Tennessee law makes it clear that only eligible voters are allowed to participate in Tennessee elections,” Kufner said.
The letter does not, however, reveal what would happen to those who do not update their records — including whether people who fail to respond will be purged from the voter rolls. Kufner did not immediately respond to an email seeking clarity on if voters were at risk of being removed.
Instead, the letter contains warnings that illegal voting is a felony and carries penalties of up to two years in prison.
Voting rights advocates began raising the alarm after photos of the letter started circulating on social media. Democrats have long criticized the Secretary of State’s office for its stances on voting issues in the Republican-dominant state.
“The fact legal citizens of the United States and residents of Tennessee are being accused of not being eligible to vote is an affront to democracy,” said state Rep. Jason Powell, a Democrat from Nashville, in a statement. “These fine Tennesseans are being burdened with re-proving their own voter eligibility and threatened with imprisonment in a scare tactic reminiscent of Jim Crow laws.”
Powel and fellow Democratic Rep. John Ray Clemmons on Tuesday urged Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti to investigate the issue.
Democratic Rep. Gloria Johnson, a Democrat from Knoxville, said she was informed that one of the letter recipients included a “respected scientist in Oak Ridge” who had become a citizen and registered to vote in 2022.
“Maybe the state should verify citizenship with the federal government before sending threatening/intimidating letters to new citizens,” Johnson posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Other leaders encouraged those who received a letter to reach out to the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee for possible legal resources.
The effort bears some resemblance to the rollout of a sweeping Texas voting law passed in 2021, in which thousands of Texans — including some U.S. citizens — received letters saying they have been flagged as potential noncitizens who could be kicked off voting rolls.
Texas officials had just settled a lawsuit in 2019 after a prior search for ineligible voters flagged nearly 100,000 registered voters but wrongly captured naturalized citizens. A federal judge who halted the search the month after it began noted that only about 80 people to that point had been identified as potentially ineligible to vote.
In a move that has sparked controversy and debate, election officials in Tennessee have requested proof of citizenship from over 14,000 voters in the state. The request comes as part of a larger effort to ensure the integrity of the voting process and prevent any potential instances of voter fraud.
The request for proof of citizenship was sent out to individuals who had registered to vote using a driver’s license or other form of identification that did not require proof of citizenship. According to state officials, these individuals were flagged as potentially not being citizens based on information provided by the Department of Homeland Security.
While the request for proof of citizenship may seem like a reasonable measure to ensure that only eligible voters are participating in elections, critics argue that it could disenfranchise certain groups of voters, particularly those who may have difficulty obtaining the necessary documentation. They also point out that instances of voter fraud are extremely rare and that the focus on citizenship verification is unnecessary and potentially discriminatory.
Supporters of the request argue that it is a necessary step to protect the integrity of the voting process and ensure that only eligible citizens are casting ballots. They point to cases of non-citizens attempting to register to vote in other states as evidence of the need for increased scrutiny in this area.
The controversy surrounding the request for proof of citizenship highlights the ongoing debate over voting rights and access in the United States. While it is important to take steps to prevent voter fraud and maintain the integrity of elections, it is also crucial to ensure that all eligible citizens have the opportunity to participate in the democratic process.
As the situation in Tennessee continues to unfold, it will be important for election officials to carefully consider the potential impact of their actions on voters and work to address any concerns that may arise. Ultimately, the goal should be to strike a balance between safeguarding the integrity of elections and protecting the rights of all eligible citizens to participate in the democratic process.
