Only Citizens Vote Coalition | Follow the Influence Encyclopedia

Organization details

Name: Only Citizens Vote Coalition (OCVC)
Type: U.S. election-policy advocacy coalition
Public launch: May 8, 2024 · Washington, D.C.
Organizer: Cleta Mitchell, co-convener; Election Integrity Network helped launch
Legal structure: Project of Fair Elections Fund (FAIR); no independently verified OCVC EIN
Membership: More than 70 organizations and leaders at May 2024 launch; more than 90 reported in September 2024 testimony
Primary policy focus: Documentary citizenship verification for registration, and federal/state/local voting eligibility
Website: onlycitizensvotecoalition.com

Only Citizens Vote Coalition is a U.S. election-policy advocacy coalition formed in 2024 that supports citizenship-verification requirements and federal and state legislation.^[1]^[2]

History and legal structure

The Only Citizens Vote Coalition was publicly launched on May 8, 2024, at a Washington, D.C., event supporting the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. Organizers initially described a coalition of more than 70 groups and civic leaders. In September 2024, attorney Cleta Mitchell described herself in congressional testimony as a co-convener and reported more than 90 participating organizations and leaders. The Election Integrity Network (EIN), which Mitchell founded, says it helped launch the coalition.^[2]^[3]^[4]

The coalition's website identifies it as a project of the Fair Elections Fund (FAIR). FAIR is an IRS-recognized nonprofit with its own legal name and EIN 93-1870447. The coalition, FAIR, EIN and participating nonprofit organizations must therefore be recorded separately. Independent incorporation, an OCVC-specific EIN and an OCVC financial return have not been established by the sources reviewed.^[1]^[8]

Members and public participants

The coalition's published member list includes the Conservative Partnership Institute, EIN, FAIR, America First Legal Foundation, Election Research Institute, Public Interest Legal Foundation, Heritage Action for America, State Freedom Caucus Network, Eagle Forum, Advancing American Freedom, and the Center for Election Integrity at America First Policy Institute. Members are distinct entities; listing does not establish that each one funded or directed all coalition activities.^[1]

A contemporaneous announcement named Jenny Beth Martin (Tea Party Patriots Action), Ken Cuccinelli (Election Transparency Initiative), Stephen Miller (America First Legal), and Senator Mike Lee among 2024 event participants. A later EIN account identified Ed Corrigan, Mark Meadows and Linda McMahon as coalition partners in 2026. Event participation, stated partnership and legal organizational governance are different relationships.^[2]^[4]

Legislation and policy campaigns

OCVC advocates proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote and restrictions on noncitizen voting in elections at federal, state and local levels. It supported the 2024 SAVE Act (H.R. 8281), passed by the House 221–198 in July 2024. The House passed a subsequent version (H.R. 22) 220–208 in April 2025. On February 11, 2026, the House passed a related SAVE America Act as an amendment to S. 1383 by 218–213; these are separate legislative versions, not enactments of one bill. EIN described advocacy toward Senate consideration in October 2026.^[3]^[4]^[7]

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) published an Only Citizens Vote Model Policy, introduced July 26 and finalized August 30, 2024. The state model proposes database verification of citizenship, notice and proof procedures, and citizenship-based voting eligibility in all elections. EIN states that its coalition work included cooperation with ALEC; the authorship of each individual provision is not independently established.^[4]^[5]

Coalition materials include organizing and congressional toolkits, petitions and legislative resources. EIN described a 2025 Tea Party Patriots Action bus tour and September 2025 Capitol gathering in support of the SAVE Act, followed by continued coalition campaigning in 2026.^[1]^[4]

Money and organizational distinctions

A 2024 Issue One investigation traced more than $590 million in historical contributions from January 2020 onward to nearly three dozen organizations that subsequently joined the coalition. These grants went to different organizations for various activities, and many predated OCVC's founding. The figure is not the coalition's budget, revenue or amount paid to FAIR. Nor does a donation to a member organization establish that the donor directly funded OCVC.^[6]

The coalition's project affiliation with FAIR is documented by its own website. Claims about grants, vendors and tax filings for other member entities must remain attached to those separate recipients and original financial records.^[1]^[8]

Election-law context

Federal law already prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections. The coalition argues that additional documentary checks are necessary to prevent unlawful registration; opponents have raised concerns about access to registration by eligible citizens who may lack readily available documentation. Congressional Research Service describes the existing legal framework and proposed verification changes. Issue One cites a review of 42 jurisdictions that identified 30 suspected noncitizen ballots among 23.5 million votes in a 2016 study; it is a limited sample, not a nationwide count. Sweeping claims about millions of noncitizens voting are not substantiated by that evidence.^[6]^[7]

Documented connections

Shared membership or campaigning does not establish common legal identity, funding or control.

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Sources

Source-checked November 14, 2026; historical office, funding and legislative records are dated.