On February 11, 2026, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or the SAVE America Act, by a vote of 218-213, and sent it to the Senate to be voted on. The bill would require individuals to provide “documentary proof of citizenship,” such as a passport or birth certificate, to register to vote in federal elections, and photo identification when casting a ballot. The bill passed with support from all House Republicans and one House Democrat.
Although Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has indicated his willingness to bring it to a vote, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has expressed his caucus’s opposition to the bill, making it unlikely that the bill will surpass the 60 votes required to overcome the filibuster.
The bill is backed by President Donald Trump, with the White House saying that “American citizens—and only American citizens—should decide American elections.” Trump has also claimed that the lack of regulations nationwide led to his loss of the 2020 presidential election, a claim that has been widely disputed and rejected by courts and election officials. Thirty-six states have already passed similar voter ID laws, though U.S. law prohibits non-citizens from voting but currently requires no documentary proof to enforce that requirement.
A Gallup poll found that 84 percent of Americans support a voter ID requirement, with 98 percent of Republicans and 67 percent of Democrats supporting it. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Me.) said the bill “will improve the security of our federal elections and will help give people more confidence in the results.”
Although polling shows broad public support for the voter ID requirements, Democrats in the House and Senate almost unanimously oppose the bill. Many argue that the bill is unnecessary; instances of non-citizens voting represent 0.0001% of votes in the last 60 years, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan law and policy institute. Furthermore, critics also contend that a back-end verification model, where the government verifies citizenship status, not the voter, would be more effective.
Opponents also argue that regulations would disenfranchise voters. According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, a non-partisan think tank, 9% of all eligible voters do not have access or easy access to documentary proof, 52% do not have an unexpired passport with their current name on it, and 11% do not have access to a birth certificate. Requiring documentary proof of citizenship would significantly burden these citizens from exercising their right to vote. As Sen. Schumer said, “The SAVE [America] Act seeks to disenfranchise millions of American citizens, seize control of our elections, and fan the flames of election skepticism and denialism.”
The fate of the SAVE America Act will shape how the country balances protecting elections and protecting access to the ballot. While the act cleared the House, Democratic opposition to the bill makes its chance of passing in the Senate unlikely.
