Birth Certificate – the “certified copy of record of birth” that you can get from your state/county, and yes it has to be the official form, not a photocopy. The child of immigrants, born in the US, is a citizen under the 14th Amendment (“All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to its jurisdiction” …etc.) and the birth certificate is equally evidence of citizenship.
If born abroad to American parents they are supposed to file a report of this with the nearest consular office and there will be a document issued that will be a document that will have to accompany your foreign birth certificate.
A certificate of naturalization is issued, which becomes part of the set of identity papers you use for different purposes, like the Birth Certificate. It is not something “to carry around”.
The requirement in the SAVE Act proposal is of proof of citizenship to be registered to vote, not at the polling place. You’d have to provide that in order to register and be entered in the voting rolls. I must assume it would be just straight up Voter-ID at the polling place
( Back in prediluvian ages I had to provide my Birth Certificate and government ID to register and if the ID did not indicate it then also would have needed some documents proving my home address, or failing that a sworn statement from registered voters to the effect that yeah, they know for a fact I do live in the district. )
As I read the state docs for the “visitor” class, before we talk about residents.
What does “TEMPORARY VISITOR” mean?
A Temporary Visitor is defined as anyone who is not immigrating to or not permanently residing (living) in the United States. These visitors have US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) documentation that supports their legal status in this country.
If you have DHS documents that identify you as a Temporary Visitor and have a REAL ID; your New York State driver license, permit or non-driver ID card will have:
“TEMPORARY VISITOR” on it
Your DHS document expiration date
Please note that your DMV document does not expire on the Temporary Visitor expiration date, nor will your privilege to drive in New York.
Again, that doesn’t explicitly mention full time (not Temporary Visitor) non-citizen residents, but remember, we’re not yet in full REAL ID compliance before May 2025.
This site talks about becoming compliant prior to that date and what’s needed:
What you need to secure a REAL ID
Getting either an enhanced or a REAL ID has more stringent requirements than getting a standard driver’s license. One will need to prove both U.S. citizenship as well as New York state residency. Needed documents:
One proof of identity — this can be a current New York license, permit or non-driver ID card;
One proof of legal presence — a U.S. birth certificate, either an original or certified copy only, no hospital certificates;
[snipped]
So, there’s a certain amount of disconnect between what’s going on right now and what will theoretically apply once the changeover is complete.
It seems that from the above, non citizens will have some version of the “Standard ID” that looks almost identical, but has (instead of the star) the “Not for Federal Purposes” disclaimer in the same upper right hand corner.
But yeah, the language is still less than 100% clear.
But it’s late, this is depressing, and I’m headed to bed!
There are exceptions, however. A child born in the US to a foreign diplomat is not a citizen (but eligible for permanent residency) - source. So it is entirely possible that such a person has a birth certificate proving birth in Cincinnati, yet is not a citizen. I’ve often wondered how that is dealt with in terms of paperwork.
But it says “military ID and service record” not “military ID or service record”. One’s service record will show birthplace. So, together with a military ID, I can see how that would be adequate proof of citizenship. Plus, non-citizens cannot become field grade officers. So, if the military ID shows a person retired as a field grade officer or higher, that alone is proof. It takes a waiver just to appoint a noncitizen as an officer at all, and I think that’s only done for specially skilled personnel like doctors. I only learned about the existence of this waiver just now while fact checking this post.
New York State offers three types of ID documents; standard licenses and IDs, REAL IDs, and Enhanced licenses and IDs. Non citizens are eligible for standard IDs. Non citizens who can provide proof of lawful presence are eligible for REAL IDs. However, only US Citizens are eligible for Enhanced IDs.
It explicitly says that non-citizens who can provide proof of lawful presence are eligible for REAL ID. ( which NY has been issuing for quite some time already )
That “not for Federal purposes” is the standard ID and is issued to people who cannot prove lawful residence.
I don’t know if the authors of the SAVE act don’t know that REAL IDs do not necessarily indicate citizenship or if they were planning to change things again and start requiring REAL ID to indicate citizenship status or if they were just planning to fool people into thinking the REAL ID is sufficient , only for them to find out when they arrive to register ( which will be in person, of course) that they also need their birth certificate or passport. (I’m not sure which of those is more disturbing)
I’m glad you started this thread because I was wondering what the Republican’s plan was for that as well. If more than 50% of Americans don’t have passports, that must cut into their own voting base as well. And, who has an embossed copy of their birth certificate? (I do, because I needed one recently)
RealID doesn’t work, because it’s available to legal residents, so this well-thought-out plan apparently had a few holes.
To answer the thread title, I have my passport, and that’s how I would prove it.
Texas doesn’t have online registration to vote, but you can register by mail. Or in person, of course.
You can register by mail to vote in Texas by printing a voter registration form, filling it out, and mailing it to your local election office. You can also register to vote in person if you prefer.
How do you prove citizenship by mail?
Texas is one of only eight states that do not have online registration. How do you prove citizenship online?
I’m pretty sure the authors of that law were willing to gloss over all of that, but the only practical answer would be “you don’t register in any manner than in-person”.
Why they would want that outcome isn’t a proper discussion for Factual Questions, but I assure you, it’s a feature, not a bug.
Since the thread is in FQ (though it doesn’t seem to belong here), the factual answer might be on this page, which lists the various ways one can provide evidence of US citizenship when applying for a passport. Aside from the obvious (birth certificate, certificate of naturalization, previous passport), one can provide a baptism certificate, US Census record or even a family Bible. If proof of US citizenship will be required to vote, is the local voter registration official is going to have to go through the same process?
I do; I needed one at some point in the past for a passport. Around here, all you have to do is go to your local county or city facility and present some basic documentation. Or you can go online to the state’s website and get one- you just need your state issued DL #, your SSN, and your relationship to the person whose birth certificate you’re requesting.
Probably the same way they do for mail-in registration; they only ask for the driver’s license number or the last four of your SSN for registration. The actual serious ID check is at the point of voting, where you have to present ID (one of seven forms).
The bill apparently contemplates a conditional registration, subject to then later completing the proof of citizenship steps. OR proving on-the-spot. Because if you could not do it in person before the deadline, of course you can do it after, right ?
…and here I once again do my traditional SMH at the American revulsion to the idea of everyone just being issued at no cost one common universal identity document.
Such “proof” is an absolute mess. Around 1 in 10 US citizens have a hard time proving it.
When providing a birth cert. for driver’s license renewal became a thing, I went to my birth state’s doc site. They wanted a scan of my driver’s license. To get a birth certificate to renew my driver’s license. Since my current license was good, I got the cert.
Note the idiotic cycle. DL → BC → DL.
All the government knows is that I’m a person who has been going by that name for a while. There is no proof whatsoever that I am actually the person that matches the BC.
In Computer Science we call this “security theater”. I.e., it looks like security but it’s a fraud.
And what are people who didn’t have a current DL supposed to do to get their own BC???
Plus for many women it’s a ridiculous hassle due to name changes.
In actuality, I have no “stand up in court” proof that I’m a citizen. Sure, I can prove that there’s a guy with that name that was born here and I’m at the very least pretending to be him, but that’s it.
People have to get over the concept of “proof” when it comes to something like this. The world is not built that way.
That there are fifty states is one issue. There’s also, I think, some irrational fear about the “number of the beast” that makes some fearful of a national ID card or national ID number.
?