Story by Jenna deJong
A renewed Republican push to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act has put voting rights in the spotlight as Congress debates the legislation.
The bill, which mandates proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration, has gained traction in the GOP-controlled House but faces challenges in the Senate.
If the bill does make it through Congress, President Donald Trump is expected to sign it into law, as he has previously spoken in support of the legislation.
What Is the SAVE Act?
The SAVE Act, reintroduced by Republican Representative Chip Roy of Texas, is a proposed bill that seeks to amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.
It would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration, a move its proponents argue is necessary to prevent illegal voting. Opponents, however, warn that it may disenfranchise eligible voters, particularly those who lack easy access to documents such as passports or birth certificates.
Why It Matters
According to the nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice, more than 21 million voting-age U.S. citizens do not have proof of citizenship readily available.
Voting rights groups have warned that the SAVE Act could disproportionately affect married women who changed their last names, young voters and people of color.
How Will the SAVE Act Impact Married Women?
Voting rights advocates have raised concerns that the SAVE Act could disproportionately affect married women who have changed their last names. Many married women may lack readily available documentation that matches their current legal name, which could create barriers to voter registration.
Much of the documentation listed under the SAVE Act is based on having a birth certificate that matches the person registering to vote. However, as many as 69 million married women in the United States have changed their legal name since getting married, meaning their name does not match their birth certificate, per the Center for American Progress.
Has the SAVE Act Passed in the House?
The bill has previously passed in the House in a prior session but failed to advance beyond that point. It earned support from five Democrats along with 216 Republicans. Those five Democrats were Representatives Henry Cuellar of Texas, Don Davis of North Carolina, Jared Golden of Maine, Vicente Gonzalez Jr. of Texas and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington.
House leadership has signaled continued support for the bill’s advancement.
Has the SAVE Act Passed in the Senate?
Despite Roy’s push for the bill, it has not yet been passed in the House and thus has not yet been brought to the Senate. Though the Republican Party has a majority in the Senate, a filibuster would still require at least seven Democratic senators to cross party lines for passage, making its success uncertain.
What To Know
The bill, which has been on the congressional radar since May 2024, was reintroduced in the new legislative session.
A previous attempt to pass similar legislation in Kansas was struck down in court for violating the U.S. Constitution and the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). Arizona also implemented a proof-of-citizenship requirement, but the Supreme Court limited its enforcement, allowing those without proof of citizenship to vote only in federal races.
What People Are Saying
Representative Chip Roy recently told Newsweek: “The legislation provides myriad ways for people to prove citizenship and explicitly directs states to establish a process for individuals to register to vote if there are discrepancies in their proof of citizenship documents due to something like a name change.”
President Donald Trump previously spoke on the SAVE Act in reference to a government shutdown. He made a post to Truth Social in September: “If Republicans don’t get the SAVE Act, and every ounce of it, they should not agree to a Continuing Resolution in any way, shape, or form.”
Content publisher Truth Matters posted to X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday: “Are you one of the 160 million women in America who have changed their name as a result of marriage? Republicans have now revived the SAVE Act to remove your right to register or update your voter registration. This prevents Americans from being able to register to vote by mail.”
What Happens Next
With Republicans in control of both the House and Senate, the bill could have a stronger chance of passing. However, legal challenges are expected if the measure becomes law.
Congress is expected to take up the bill in the coming weeks.