Proposed legislation from Maryland House Republicans would address voter fraud, non-citizen voting

Maryland House Republicans are planning to propose legislation that they said would crack down on voter fraud and address non-citizen voting. 

The announcement comes a week after lawmakers claimed Iowa superintendent Dr. Ian Roberts was listed as an active voter in Maryland. Roberts, a former Baltimore principal, was arrested by immigration agents in late September, accused of overstaying a student visa. 

WJZ was not able to independently confirm Roberts' voter status in Maryland, and the state Board of Elections said it would not confirm or deny the claims. According to board officials, Roberts never voted in Maryland.

According to Republican state leaders, the first proposed bill would require photo identification to vote, and the second would require the state Board of Elections to verify the citizenship of a voter. 

Proposed voter ID requirement 

Del. Bob Long sits on the House Ways and Means Committee, which considers potential changes to election laws and procedures in the state.

According to Long, "People are losing faith in the security of our voting system." 

He is sponsoring a bill that would require a photo ID to vote. Under the proposed bill, a voter would be able to present a valid, non-government photo ID and current utility bill, bank statement or other official document if they do not have a government-issued ID. 

Those without any valid form of ID would be able to cast a provisional ballot. 

Long cited the National Conference of State Legislatures, saying 36 states have laws that require voters to show ID when they vote. Similar measures have been proposed in Maryland in the past. 

"It is important that our citizens have confidence in their election process," Long said in a statement. "Legislation like this helps restore our citizens' faith in the most important tool of our democracy; free and fair elections."

Currently, Maryland does not require a voter to present their photo ID. In some cases, voters could be asked to show ID if their identity is challenged or if they are registering to vote during early voting. Some first-time voters can also be asked to show ID if they registered by mail and did not provide a valid ID. 

Proposed citizenship verification requirement 

Del. Kevin Hornberger is sponsoring a second proposed bill that would require the state Board of Elections to verify a voter's citizenship using the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program. 

The SAVE program is administered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. States and local governments use it to verify a person's citizenship or immigration status. 

Hornberger said the legislation would give the Board of Elections "Yet another arrow in their quiver to ensure that those individuals who are registered to vote are citizens."

According to Hornberger, 21 states currently use the program for voter registration, including Virginia. Several Maryland agencies also use the program, like the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA). 

In April, the Trump administration made the service free for all states and local governments, Hornberger said. 

Under current laws, Maryland does not require proof of citizenship during voter registration, but applicants have to assert that they are citizens, and providing false information can lead to fines or other penalties, according to Politifact.

The two pieces of legislation will need to be introduced in the General Assembly during the 2026 session, which starts on Jan. 14, 2026. 

WJZ has reached out to the voter rights organizations, ACLU of Maryland, and Common Cause Maryland for comment.