Despite lacking evidence of consequential voter fraud, election integrity has become a divisive political issue. A Republican-backed bill seeks to "safeguard" elections though voting rights advocates say the effort is an unnecessary burden that will suppress voters.
Led by U.S. Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, House Republicans reintroduced the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE, Act on Jan. 3.
The bill would "amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require proof of United States citizenship to register an individual to vote in elections for Federal office, and for other purposes." The bill does not elaborate on the definition of "other purposes."
The bill — known as H.R. 22 — also calls for proof of U.S. citizenship for "any method of voter registration in a State," meaning documentation may be necessary to make simple modifications such as address or name changes.
The documentation requirement would apply to all registration methods, including mail-in forms and updates made at state departments of motor vehicles.
Forms of identification accepted by the SAVE Act:
- Valid U.S. Passport
- U.S. military ID card with accompanying military record of service showing U.S. as birthplace
- Federal, state or tribal government photo ID showing U.S. as birthplace
- Birth certificate along with government-issued photo ID
- For U.S. citizens born abroad: Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Report of Birth from the U.S. Secretary of State
- For naturalized U.S. citizens: A Naturalization Certificate or a Certificate of Citizenship from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
While H.R. 22 calls for identification "consistent with the requirements of the REAL ID Act of 2005," there are no states that list birthplace on standard driver's licenses or state ID cards — meaning a most REAL ID-compliant IDs do not meet the bill's standard.
H.R. 22 was originally introduced in May 2024 and passed the House but stalled in the Democrat-controlled Senate. The bill has a higher likelihood of passing now as the GOP controls the House and Senate.
Supporters say the bill is needed to prevent noncitizens from voting — creating a solution to a problem critics say doesn't exists.
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“American elections belong to American citizens, and the public's confidence in those elections is the cornerstone of our republic," U.S. Rep. Roy said in a statement. "We in Congress have a duty to our fellow citizens to provide that confidence and put concrete enforcement in place to ensure that our elections and our sovereignty cannot be hijacked and influenced by foreign nationals who have no business voting in this country."
The recent political push to prevent electoral fraud is rooted in President Donald Trump's false claim that the 2020 election was "stolen." Again without evidence, Trump claimed fraud in the lead up to the 2024 election that he decisively won.
Officials from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which helps secure elections, and other top government-industry officials called the 2020 election “the most secure in American history.” The claims by Trump and his supporters have eroded public trust in election integrity and led to increase instability to U.S. democracy, such as threats made against election workers and the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
According to two publicly available databases, there 410 instances of identifiable voter fraud since 2016.
Those cases indicate some level of voter or election fraud that led to a criminal conviction or court action, with 96% of crimes ranging from registering fraudulently but never voting to criminal conduct at the ballot box.
'To spread fear and division'
Critics of the bill say the SAVE Act disproportionately impacts marginalized groups, such as those who may struggle to access proper documentation, including married couples who changed their last names, young voters without passports, low-income people and elderly voters lacking original birth certificates.
A June 2024 study by the University of Maryland's Center for Democracy and Civil Engagement found that nearly 10% voting-age U.S. citizens, about 21 million people, "cannot readily access documentary proof of citizenship."
The American Civil Liberties Union said the SAVE Act is "grounded in falsehoods about immigrant communities that seek to spread fear and division, as well as dissuade eligible citizens of color from exercising their constitutional right to vote."
The Washington, D.C.,-based government watchdog Common Cause called the proposed legislation an "anti-voter wishlist" that is "meant to deter newly naturalized citizens from voting and make it harder for ALL eligible voters to cast a ballot."
"This legislation adds significant new barriers to exercising the fundamental right to vote based on unfounded fears of significant noncitizen voting," the ACLU wrote in a Jan. 10 letter to lawmakers. "The SAVE Act is entirely unnecessary and only serves to harm voters. There is no evidence of any pervasive or widespread voting by those who are ineligible to vote, including those who are not citizens."
For more information on the security of U.S. elections, visit Vote.gov's "Your voter is safe" page.
