MARYLAND FREEDOM CAUCUS SEEKS PROOF-OF-CITIZENSHIP FOR VOTERS, SAVE AUDITS AFTER ICE ARREST

Maryland Freedom Caucus members plan a 2026 bill to require proof of citizenship for voter registration and periodic SAVE-based audits of voter rolls. The push follows an ICE arrest of a former Baltimore principal accused of overstaying a visa and a Public Interest Legal Foundation letter alleging a false citizenship claim on a Maryland voter application. State election officials would not confirm registration status and said the individual never voted in Maryland. The proposal mirrors a 2025 executive order and underscores a growing state-level effort to tighten voter verification.