FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Court-Backed Election Safeguards Highlight Need for National Voter Eligibility Standards
“The lesson from Texas is simple: states are stepping up to protect their elections, but they shouldn’t have to do it alone,” Cuccinelli added. “Without reliable, consistent standards for verifying citizenship, states are left to navigate a patchwork system that creates uncertainty and undermines confidence.” — Ken Cuccinelli, National Chairman of ETI
Arlington, VA — April 15, 2026 — The Election Transparency Initiative (ETI) today pointed to a recent federal court decision upholding Texas’ ban on ballot harvesting as further evidence that commonsense election safeguards are both constitutional and necessary—but warned that states cannot fully secure their elections without stronger federal action.
Earlier this year, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld Texas’ restrictions on ballot harvesting, affirming the state’s authority to protect voters and maintain the integrity of the ballot.
“Courts are making it clear: states have the authority to put reasonable safeguards in place to protect voters,” said Ken Cuccinelli, National Chairman of the Election Transparency Initiative and former Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security. “But authority alone isn’t enough. States also need the tools to verify voter eligibility with confidence—and that’s where federal leadership is still falling short.”
Why ballot harvesting restrictions matter for voter confidence
Ballot harvesting bans are one of several measures states have adopted to protect the chain of custody of ballots and reduce the risk of undue influence, particularly among vulnerable populations. The Fifth Circuit’s ruling reinforces that such protections are not only prudent, but fully consistent with the Constitution.
However, ETI emphasized that while states like Texas are taking meaningful steps to secure elections, gaps in federal law continue to limit their ability to ensure that only eligible citizens are registered to vote.
“The lesson from Texas is simple: states are stepping up to protect their elections, but they shouldn’t have to do it alone,” Cuccinelli added. “Without reliable, consistent standards for verifying citizenship – standards that can only come from the federal government – states are left to navigate a patchwork system that creates uncertainty and undermines confidence.”
With primary elections already underway across the country and the November general election approaching, ETI warned that continued delay in Washington is unacceptable.
Texas law highlights need for national election integrity standards
“It’s time for the U.S. Senate to act,” Cuccinelli said. “Every day of inaction is a day closer to another federal election conducted under inconsistent standards. As primaries move forward and November draws closer, the Senate is wasting time instead of providing states with the tools they need to get this right.”
ETI pointed to the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act as a necessary next step to provide states with clear standards and access to the tools needed to verify voter eligibility nationwide.
“The SAVE Act would give states what they’ve been missing—clarity, consistency, and the ability to verify that only eligible citizens are voting,” Cuccinelli said. “If we’re serious about election integrity, we need a national framework that supports the work states are already doing.”
As debates over election law continue across the country, ETI urged policymakers to build on the legal foundation affirmed by the courts and take action to strengthen voter eligibility verification at the federal level—before the next national election cycle is fully underway.
Media Availability
ETI Chairman Ken Cuccinelli is available for interviews on ranked choice voting or other non-traditional voting systems, state-level election reforms, and federal election integrity efforts. Members of the media may submit interview requests at: https://electiontransparency.org/contact/
About the Election Transparency Initiative
ETI works nationwide to advance commonsense election reforms that protect the integrity of the vote and strengthen public trust in election outcomes through policies that enhance transparency, accountability, and confidence in American elections. Ken Cuccinelli serves as National Chairman of ETI. He previously served as Acting Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and as Attorney General of Virginia.
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