Don’t believe the SAVE America Act hype
Recent articles covering the popularity of alleged SAVE America Act provisions fail to tell the full story. Headlines and reporting that frame people’s support for voter ID or citizenship verification as evidence of support for anti-democracy restrictions aren’t the flex some may think.
Most poll questions don’t provide people the background, context, or implications of the policies being asked about. It might be important for people to know that laws concerning voter ID and citizenship already exist.
And the polls aren’t asking whether people support the motivation and manipulation of information behind these proposals.
Blocking voters and our power is the goal. It’s not about security or integrity.
Election safety versus voting rights is a fake dichotomy set up to trick people into believing that giving away some of our rights will keep us safe. Since his return to office, the current president has made it very clear he wants to stack the deck so that he and his allies never lose again.
He has made numerous statements about wanting to take over elections, driven by his need for absolute power. In the past month, he has listed the same provisions being pushed in polls as a part of his voter suppression agenda.
He also bragged that his party could stay in control for another 50 years after his agenda is passed. All of this matters when people are being asked questions out of context.
Here’s what’s missing from articles and headlines about people’s support for SAVE Act provisions:
1. We already have laws and standards for voter eligibility and election administration
The way SAVE Act supporters carry on, you wouldn’t know there are already laws on the books that address everything they claim is a problem. American voters already have to confirm citizenship to register to vote. Improper voting, whether by non-citizens or due to other eligibility issues, already carries heavy penalties.
The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) set national standards for voter registration and voter list maintenance.
Sometimes called the “motor voter” law, the NVRA expanded how people could register to vote, opening the door to registration through the DMV or other government agencies. NVRA standards for voter list roll maintenance ensure transparent, accurate, and fair practices that balance necessary updates with voters’ rights.
Having more people registered is a good thing, unless you are obsessed with power and controlling election outcomes. More eligible people registering and voting is exactly why the right has spent almost 20 years fearmongering and repeating lies about virtually non-existent fraud.
The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) implemented additional safeguards and practices that provide a baseline for all states.
But the SAVE America Act would ban online and mail-in voter registration, methods used by 94% of eligible voters, making it harder to register to vote or make required changes.
2. States already have citizenship safeguards in place
Again, states have safeguards in place for voter eligibility and election administration. Every state, except North Dakota, requires a declaration of citizenship when registering, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. North Dakota is the only state without voter registration.
In 36 states, voters must show some form of ID to vote. This varies from states that require a strict photo ID to others that allow people to show other forms of official documentation.
The 14 states that do not require voter ID use other forms of verification, such as signing sworn statements. Sworn statements and attestations are made under penalty of perjury and punishment.
The SAVE America Act’s voter ID requirements would nationalize the most restrictive policies and make it difficult for many voters to cast ballots. Student IDs and other forms acceptable in most states would be banned. Tribal IDs would be permitted only if they have an expiration date, but most don’t.
Most people’s Real IDs would not meet the act’s requirements for establishing citizenship. Only five states offer an “enhanced” license that notes citizenship status. And none of them are in the south.
While some discount the impact of voter ID laws, we’ve seen how even a few hundred votes can swing an election. Blocking even a “fraction” of voters or making thousands unnecessarily use provisional ballots can make the difference between electing a democracy champion and an election denier.
Again, federal law already prohibits non-citizens from voting in federal elections. It’s been illegal for decades. And non-citizens are not allowed to vote in federal elections.
3. It would have negative impacts on voter registration and vote-by-mail
According to democracy experts, the SAVE America Act’s requirement to submit documentary proof of citizenship in person would effectively eliminate online and mail-in voter registration. These two methods are used by an estimated 94% of Americans.
It would create barriers for voters across the board, including voters with disabilities, military families, and students. Can’t get off of work in time to register or update your registration? Tough luck.
The law would also significantly limit eligibility for mail-in voting in federal elections, including in states with universal vote-by-mail. It would also require people to submit a photocopy of their ID when requesting an absentee ballot and when returning the ballot.
4. Proof of citizenship laws are a trap and could block millions from the ballot
As widely reported, an estimated 21 million people lack the required citizenship documents to meet the law’s requirements. The fixation on citizenship is another way to create barriers for otherwise eligible voters. Reports indicate that citizenship review databases have incorrectly flagged people.
But that’s exactly why these laws are being pursued.
According to Mother Jones, in the first three years of a similar Kansas law, it blocked an estimated 31,000 otherwise eligible voters. It also led to the cancellation of another 16,000 voter registrations. A federal judge struck down the law as unconstitutional in 2018.
To date, only a handful of states have enacted documentary proof-of-citizenship laws.
It’s worth repeating that non-citizen voting and other forms of alleged fraud are extremely rare. And yet, we’ve been inundated with unfounded claims of alleged voter fraud or non-citizen voting for nearly 20 years.
Despite investigations and analyses consistently showing no evidence of the alleged mass fraud, those on the right continue to push for restrictive laws. Expert reviews of available voter data continue to show very few cases of reported fraud out of millions of votes cast across multiple election periods. Even conservative think tanks and researchers have found only a tiny number of reports out of billions of votes.
By some estimates, being struck by lightning is more common than so-called voter fraud.
And Trump and his allies at the state and federal levels know this. But they know fear is a motivator and can be used to deny eligible voters their right to free, fair, and accessible elections.
5. Promotes aggressive voter purges and increases election administration burdens
Despite the new requirements, no additional funding has been earmarked for state implementation and system upgrades. It would create chaos and confusion ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, with little time for election staff training and compliance.
Thirty states have refused the Trump administration’s heavy-handed demand for access to our full, unredacted voter data. Remember when, during the height of the ICE siege in the Twin Cities, Attorney General Pam Bondi basically told Minnesota’s governor all he had to do was comply with the voter roll demand, and ICE would leave him alone?
Trump is trying to use Congress to force the states to do what federal courts won’t. The SAVE America Act would also require all states to hand over their data to the Department of Homeland Security for its citizen check review.
It’s a shakedown, and we should be appalled. And even the Trump administration’s own data review of 49.5 million voter registrations from 2024 found that only 0.02% of registrations were referred for additional investigation.
That doesn’t mean people were voting; just that their names were flagged. As Campaign Legal Center previously explained, aggressive purges like this make mistakes and are more likely to remove otherwise eligible voters than alleged non-citizens.
The existing system, also known as SAVE, cannot be used to verify the citizenship of U.S. citizens because it is for immigration review. It’s also outdated. So naturalized citizens, who have the right to vote, could be incorrectly flagged as non-citizens.
Think about all the personal information collected about us. Do you really want that sitting in a government database to be used however this administration and its rich friends see fit? The Brennan Center highlighted concerns about the security of the collected data and vague references to outside contractors who may have access to it.
The law also imposes criminal penalties on election officials and workers who do not comply. And it incentivizes snitching and frivolous lawsuits by allowing people to sue if they don’t think the law is being enforced correctly.
This is very different from the private right of action under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), which allows people to challenge discrimination in voting processes or election administration. The proposed SAVE America Act provisions could embolden threats, attacks, and harassment of election officials and workers.
6. SAVE America Act provisions are a part of Trump’s voter suppression mandate
The SAVE America Act is a fake solution for issues that aren’t a real threat to our elections. And the so-called solutions put forth are barriers to millions of eligible voters. The real threat is a president and members of his party who continue to erode ballot access and voting rights.
Now, nearly 20 years after a bipartisan majority last reauthorized the Voting Rights Act, we are facing the greatest threat to our right to vote. Championed provisions around voter ID and proof of citizenship have nothing to do with election protection or security.
This law is a voter suppression fever dream with provisions proven to shave off thousands of eligible voters or block millions from even being able to apply to participate. We know firsthand the difference a few hundred votes, let alone a few thousand, can make in determining the outcome of an election.
Popular opinion is not always a good guide to which rights should be protected. Take a look at old opinion polls — racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression have been quite popular, but still wrong.
Simple fact checks, without context, do not help people understand the grave stakes for millions of voters and for our democracy overall. But context matters, and the SAVE America Act cannot be reduced to hot takes about polls saying people want this.