GOP Pushes Controversial Voting Bill Amid Widespread Opposition

Republican lawmakers in both the U.S. House and Senate introduced new legislation last week aimed at reviving the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, renewing a push to require proof of citizenship for voter registration. The effort follows the failure of a similar proposal last year, which stalled amid widespread public opposition.

The newly introduced bills would require U.S. citizens to present documents such as a passport or birth certificate in order to register to vote. According to voting-rights researchers, more than 21 million Americans lack ready access to those documents.

Roughly half of Americans do not hold a passport, and millions do not have a paper copy of their birth certificate. Critics argue the requirement would disproportionately affect younger voters, voters of color, and women whose legal names differ from those listed on their birth certificates.

Election officials and voting-rights advocates also warn that the proposals could significantly complicate election administration. The bills would impose new responsibilities on state and local officials without providing additional federal funding. In several provisions, local officials would be required to determine whether voters without specified documents have adequately proven their citizenship, a process that could expose officials to civil or criminal penalties if mistakes are made. Under some scenarios, officials could face punishment for registering eligible voters if required documentation was not properly collected.

The three versions of the SAVE Act differ in their timelines for implementation, with provisions taking effect immediately after enactment or within one to two years. Election administrators have cautioned that such rapid changes could create confusion, increasing the risk that eligible voters could be prevented from casting ballots.

The House version of the legislation, titled the Make Elections Great Again Act, includes several additional provisions beyond proof of citizenship. It would require proof of residence for voter registration, potentially affecting voters who have moved recently but have not updated their identification. Census data indicates that approximately nine percent of Americans move within their state each year.

The House bill would also impose a federal photo identification requirement for voting, with a narrower list of acceptable IDs than those currently allowed in most states. Student IDs, including those issued by public universities, would not be accepted, and tribal IDs would only qualify if they include an expiration date—something many tribal identification cards do not contain.

Additionally, the legislation would mandate voter roll maintenance every 30 days, eliminating the existing 90-day “quiet period” before elections that limits large-scale voter purges close to Election Day. It would also prohibit universal mail voting, requiring voters to submit an application to receive a mail ballot. This change would end the primary voting method currently used in eight states and Washington, D.C.

The House bill includes a limited exemption from the proof-of-citizenship requirement for states that require full Social Security numbers for voter registration, though federal privacy laws allow only three states to mandate such information.

The Senate proposal, known as the SAVE America Act, goes further by requiring voters to present proof of citizenship not only when registering but also when casting a ballot. States would be exempt from the second requirement only if they have regularly shared voter registration data with the Department of Homeland Security since June 2025 for comparison with the agency’s citizenship verification system, also known as SAVE.

Some state officials have resisted sharing voter data with federal agencies, citing priva

cy and security concerns. Several states previously declined similar requests during the Trump administration, after officials raised concerns about potential misuse of voter information. In January, the administration acknowledged that staff within the Social Security Administration had agreed to provide state voter data to an external advocacy group seeking evidence of voter fraud.

Supporters of the SAVE Act argue the legislation is necessary to prevent non-citizens from voting. However, multiple investigations conducted by states, including recent reviews in Louisiana and Utah, have found that cases of non-citizen voting are extremely rare.

The renewed legislative push comes amid broader national debates over election security, voter access, and public confidence in the electoral system. While Republicans backing the bills argue they would strengthen election integrity, opponents maintain the proposals would place new barriers between eligible citizens and the ballot box.

The SAVE Act proposals are expected to face significant debate as they move through Congress.