The House of Representatives passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act on Wednesday; the legislation, which mandates proof of citizenship for voter registration, was approved by a vote of 221-198, with all but five Democrats opposing the measure. This initiative is primarily aimed at preventing noncitizens from participating in federal elections, despite current laws already prohibiting such actions.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson heralded the passage as a critical step for election integrity. “Today 198 House Democrats voted against preventing illegal aliens from voting in American elections,” Johnson stated. He emphasized that the bill aims to address what he describes as a significant loophole, suggesting that noncitizens have been registering to vote under the radar. “House Republicans believe that only Americans should vote in American elections. House Democrats have now proven they believe that illegal aliens should vote in American elections,” he added.
The SAVE Act requires new voter registrants to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship, a shift from the current system where an attestation suffices in most states. This legislation also obliges states to cleanse their voter rolls of noncitizens and establish protocols for verifying citizenship status, using federal databases such as those of the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration.
Opponents, however, argued that the bill could disenfranchise legitimate voters. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries decried the measure as an “extreme MAGA Republican voter suppression bill.” He highlighted concerns that the bill could disproportionately affect military personnel stationed abroad, women who have changed their names, and individuals who have lost documents due to natural disasters. “This bill is about scaring Americans, this bill is about silencing Americans, this bill is about disenfranchising Americans,” Jeffries argued.
Data from several states suggest that instances of noncitizens voting are exceedingly rare. For example, an audit in North Carolina found that only 41 legal immigrants, out of 4.8 million ballots cast, had voted. Similarly, Georgia’s audit revealed that 1,634 noncitizens attempted to register over 25 years, none of whom succeeded. Despite these findings, proponents of the SAVE Act insist that even a few illegal votes can undermine the integrity of elections. “Every illegal vote cancels out the vote of a legal American citizen,” said Rep. Bryan Steil of Wisconsin.
