The House of Representatives approved the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act on Thursday, a measure aimed at reinforcing citizenship verification in federal elections. The bill passed with a vote of 220-208, despite opposition from all Democrats.
Key Provisions of the SAVE Act:
- Requires voters to present proof of citizenship in person when registering for federal elections.
- Mandates the removal of noncitizens from voter rolls.
The legislation now advances to the Senate, where it faces a significant hurdle; securing the necessary 60 votes to overcome a potential filibuster.
Public Opinion & Support:
Recent polling data underscores broad public support for stricter voter identification requirements. A Gallup Poll released prior to the 2024 election revealed:
- 84% of respondents favor requiring photo identification to vote.
- 83% support requiring proof of citizenship when registering to vote for the first time.
“After four years of mass illegal immigration facilitated by the Biden administration, it is more important now than ever to ensure only American citizens are voting in American elections,” stated House GOP Majority Whip Tom Emmer.
Democratic Opposition:
Democrats have consistently refuted claims of widespread noncitizen participation in U.S. elections and have previously challenged efforts to strengthen voter integrity measures. Nineteen states led by Democrats sued the Trump administration over an executive order seeking proof of citizenship for voting.
“Noncitizens attempting to register to vote is exceedingly rare, and if they do, they face severe consequences,” argued Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.). “Coupled with President Trump’s recent anti-voter election executive order, the SAVE Act would end the voter registration process for all Americans as they know it.”
Rep. Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) further criticized the bill, labeling it an “extremist anti-voter SAVE Act,” and asserted that Republicans have not provided evidence of noncitizen voting impacting election outcomes.
Legislative History:
The initial version of the SAVE Act was introduced in July 2024 under the Biden administration but failed to pass due to a Democrat-controlled Senate. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) reintroduced the bill, anticipating greater success under Republican control of both Congress and the White House.
“The American people have spoken very clearly that they believe only American citizens should vote in American elections,” said Rep. Roy. “This legislation is designed to restore that faith, to save our elections, to save election integrity.”
The bill gained momentum alongside voter integrity efforts led by the Republican National Committee (RNC) and garnered support from former President Donald Trump, who addressed the issue at a Mar-a-Lago press conference with House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Currently, voter registration procedures are managed at the state level, resulting in varying requirements for identification. While 36 states request or mandate some form of ID to vote, the SAVE Act seeks to establish a nationwide standard requiring proof of citizenship and removing non-citizens from the rolls.
Recent Developments:
The Biden Justice Department previously opposed Virginia’s attempt to remove non-citizens from its voter rolls. However, the Supreme Court’s conservative majority recently upheld Virginia’s removal of approximately 1,600 individuals from the state’s voter registration lists.
