Welcome to the Monday, July 21, Brew.
By: Briana Ryan
Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:
- A look at state laws requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration
- On this date in 1933, Oregon voters repealed a tax on the sale of oleomargarine, the fourth veto referendum to repeal margarine laws in 13 years
- Did you know that voters in 12 states have decided 22 statewide ballot measures related to school choice policies since 1970?
A look at state laws requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration
In March, Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon (R) allowed HB 156—a law requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote—to become law without his signature. In response, the Equality State Policy Center filed a lawsuit challenging the law. As the lawsuit goes through the court, we’re looking at how other states approach proof of citizenship requirements.
In 1996, the U.S. Congress passed a law prohibiting noncitizens from voting in federal elections. The law also establishes the punishment of a fine, one year in prison, or both for violation. However, it does not apply to state and local offices. In 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states cannot require proof of citizenship with federal registration forms. That meant states needed to create a separate registration system for state elections to require proof of citizenship.
As a result, the 49 states with voter registration systems (North Dakota does not have a voter registration system) have taken different approaches toward voter registration.
In all 49 states, applicants registering to vote must declare they are U.S. citizens by signing a declaration under penalty of perjury or other punishment. In seven of those 49 states, applicants must also provide proof of citizenship at the time of voter registration by providing official documentation such as a birth certificate or passport. Rules regarding the type of applicable documentation may differ from state to state.
In six of those seven states, proof of citizenship is required only for new registrants. In Wyoming, however, new registrants and those updating their voter registration must provide proof of citizenship.
Wyoming is the only state that has enacted such a law so far this year. In 2024, Louisiana and New Hampshire enacted their laws. Since 2022, we’ve followed 59 bills introduced in state legislatures requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote.
Court decisions invalidated Kansas’s proof of citizenship law, and Georgia and Louisiana have not implemented the requirements of their proof of citizenship laws.
A Kansas state law that went into effect in 2013 required voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote. However, the provision was challenged in court, and on June 18, 2018, Judge Julie Robinson struck down the proof of requirement and ordered Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R) to stop enforcing the rule.
Louisiana state law requires a voter registration applicant to provide proof of citizenship to register to vote. A Georgia law, passed in 2009, required voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote. As of July 2025, neither state had implemented the requirement.
Click here for more information about laws requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration in the United States. You can also click here to view information about laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States. Finally, check out our Election Administration Legislation Tracker for the latest developments in state election laws.
Ninety-two years ago today, Oregon voters repealed a tax on the sale of oleomargarine, the fourth veto referendum to repeal margarine laws in 13 years
On this date in 1933, Oregon voters decided a veto referendum against legislation proposing a tax on the sale of oleomargarine, commonly known as margarine. Voters repealed the tax 68% to 32%.
The debate surrounding the 1933 Oregon veto referendum centered on two primary arguments. First, there was the question of whether margarine was an adequate substitute for butter and an acceptable, nutritious food for the public. The second main argument between supporters and opponents of the legislation was whether or not a margarine tax was a positive economic decision.
The law would have created a sales tax of four cents per pound on all oleomargarine sold in Oregon. The tax proceeds would have been distributed to the county governments to provide relief to the poor. The law would also have required individuals and businesses that sold margarine to pay a $5 annual licensing fee to sell the substance in the state.
The 1933 veto referendum was the fourth measure in 13 years that Oregon voters decided on regarding margarine sales.
- In 1920, voters repealed a law that would have regulated the manufacture and sale of butter substitutes, including margarine. The law would have also established licensing fees and created penalties for fraud and deception in margarine sales. Voters repealed the law 64% to 36%
- In 1924, voters repealed a law that would have outlawed manufacturing and selling butter substitutes composed of vegetable fat, non-pure milk, and adulterated milk. Voters repealed the law 63% to 37%.
- In 1932, voters repealed a law almost identical to the law considered in the 1933 veto referendum. The difference was that the 1932 law would have enacted a 10-cent-per-pound tax on margarine, rather than the four-cent-per-pound tax proposed in the 1933 veto referendum. Voters repealed the law 60% to 40%.
Six other states also have had measures related to margarine or butter substitutes on the ballot: California, Ohio, Oklahoma, Washington, Michigan, and Colorado. The most recent measure was in Washington in 1952, when voters approved a measure legalizing the production, transportation, possession, sale, and use of yellow margarine. Voters approved it 84% to 16%.
The 1933 margarine measure is one of 882 statewide ballot measures decided in Oregon between 1900 and 2024. To explore more measures, visit our Oregon Historical Ballot Measures Factbook.
Click here to read more about the 1933 veto referendum.
Did you know that voters in 12 states have decided 22 statewide ballot measures related to school choice policies since 1970?
Voters approved two of the measures—both in 2012—and rejected the other 20.
School choice refers to policies and programs that allow families to select educational options beyond their assigned public school. Those policies can include vouchers, education tax credits, education savings accounts (ESAs), charter schools, and open enrollment laws that allow students to transfer within or between districts.
The highest concentration of school choice measures—six—occurred in the 1990s. Most recently, in November 2024, voters in Colorado, Kentucky, and Nebraska rejected measures related to school choice.
Click here to learn more about school choice on the ballot.