Weeks ahead of the Aug. 1 primary elections, Tennessee Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins has sent letters to 14,375 “potential non-U.S. citizens” asking for proof of citizenship and noting penalties for illegal voting, raisingconcern in Tennessee's immigrant communities and sparking outrage from Democratic lawmakers who called the move an attempt at voter intimidation.
Recipients of the letters remain registered to vote, and are not required to respond. It is unclear if voters who received a letter who are already U.S. citizens must take any required action before participating in the Aug. 1 elections. That information is not contained in the letter.
Tennesseans across the state received letters dated June 13, requesting them to mail in proof of citizenship to the state Division of Elections in the form of a copy of their birth certificate, passport, or naturalization document ― or request to be removed from the state’s voter rolls.A postage-paid envelope was included with the letter so that recipients can respond at no cost.
“Our office has received information that appears to indicate that your voter information matches with an individual who may not have been a United States citizen at the time of obtaining a Tennessee driver license or ID card,” the letter reads.
“Illegal voting is a felony,” Goins wrote, citing penalties of up to two years in jail and a fine of up to $5,000 for those caught voting illegally.
In a statement to The Tennessean, Goins said the Division of Elections identified potential non-citizens when comparing Tennessee voters with data supplied by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, which indicated the person may not have been a U.S. citizen at the time of the transaction.
Letter recipients may have been naturalized since applying for a driver’s license, but have not yet updated their records with the agency.
“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,” Goins said.
Goins' letter did not indicate that registered voters who fail to respond to the letter will be purged from the voter rolls.
Voters are always required to present a valid driver's license, U.S. passport or a valid photo identification issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security or federal government agency, even if it is expired. College student IDs are not acceptable for voting.
Pratik Dash, political director at the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, said Tennesseans "deserve the freedom to vote without fear and have an equal say in the decisions that impact our lives, whether we were born in this country or naturalized as citizens."
"Instead of adding additional requirements for already registered voters, our appointed and elected officials should be doing everything in their power to make voting easier and more accessible for all," Dash said in a statement. "We are working closely with our community members and partners to support immigrant voters and ensure they have the tools and information they need to cast their ballot confidently in the upcoming elections."
Democrats call letters 'a scare tactic'
In response, state Reps. Jason Powell, D-Nashville, and John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville, decried the letters as an an effort to target new American citizens and suppress voter turnout.
"On its face, this letter is an egregious and unlawful act by a state official that targets a certain population of citizens who are lawful voters with the clear intent to intimidate them,” Clemmons said in a statement. “By all accounts, these letters were only mailed to Tennesseans who, in pursuit of the American dream, immigrated to the United States, chose to make Tennessee their home, worked hard to obtain U.S. citizenship, and lawfully registered to vote. I am proud to represent thousands of these new Americans and their families residing in the wonderfully diverse District 55, and it angers and offends me that a state official would abuse his office and state resources to unlawfully target them for dubious purposes."
Powell said the letters burden voters with "re-proving their own voter eligibility" while being "threatened with imprisonment in a scare tactic reminiscent of Jim Crow laws."
"Mark Goins needs to cease with these threatening letters immediately and refrain from purging anyone who is eligible to vote from the voter rolls," Powell said.
House Democratic Leader Karen Camper, D-Memphis, wrote a letter to Secretary of State Tre Hargett asking for answers on how state officials determined who should receive the letters, and questioning which state laws permit his office to demand proof of citizenship, writing that the “action has raised significant concerns among my constituents and within the broader community.”
“The right to vote is a cornerstone of our democracy, and it is imperative that all actions taken in the name of election security do not undermine voter confidence or disenfranchise eligible voters,” Camper wrote.
Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, who is running for U.S. Senate, shared on social media that a respected Oak Ridge scientist who became a citizen and registered to vote at their citizenship ceremony in 2022 received a letter.
“Maybe the state should verify citizenship with the federal govt before sending threatening/intimidating letters to new citizens,” Johnson wrote.
Vivian Jones covers state government and politics for The Tennessean. Reach her atvjones@tennessean.com or on X at @Vivian_E_Jones.
