The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act is a controversial bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on April 10, 2025. Sponsored by Representative Chip Roy (R-Texas) and backed by President Donald Trump, the legislation aims to mandate proof of U.S. citizenship for individuals registering to vote or updating voter registration.
The bill requires in-person presentation of documents such as passports, birth certificates, or naturalization papers, effectively eliminating online and mail voter registration systems.
Proponents argue the bill is necessary to prevent noncitizens from voting in federal elections, despite evidence that illegal voting by noncitizens is extremely rare.
Critics, including voting rights groups and Democratic lawmakers, warn that the SAVE Act could disenfranchise millions of eligible voters, particularly marginalized communities such as voters of colour, rural residents, low-income individuals, and married women who have changed their names.
Studies estimate that over 21 million Americans lack immediate access to citizenship documentation, with 69 million married women potentially facing difficulties due to mismatched name records.
The bill also introduces penalties for election workers who mistakenly register individuals without proper documentation and restricts mail voting by barring the counting of ballots received after Election Day.
Will the SAVE Act Pass the Senate?
The SAVE Act faces significant hurdles in the Senate. While Republicans hold a narrow majority of 53 seats, they need at least 60 votes to overcome a Democratic filibuster. This means securing seven additional votes from Democrats or independents who generally align with Democrats—a scenario considered highly unlikely given widespread opposition to the bill.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has already declared the bill “dead on arrival,” describing it as a “how-to guide for voter suppression.” Democrats and independents have consistently opposed similar measures in the past, citing concerns about disenfranchisement and disproportionate impacts on vulnerable populations.
Even if the filibuster were eliminated or bypassed—a contentious possibility—the SAVE Act would still face legal challenges due to its resemblance to previous laws deemed unconstitutional, such as Kansas’s proof-of-citizenship requirement.
Voting rights advocates and organizations like the ACLU have vowed to fight the legislation, emphasizing its potential harm to election integrity and accessibility.