The Blubber

The House on Thursday approved a key Republican legislative priority for the year—passing a bill that would require individuals to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections, advancing one of President Donald Trump’s top election-related initiatives.

The measure passed largely along party lines, with most Democrats opposing it. Critics warned that the bill could disenfranchise millions of eligible voters who lack immediate access to citizenship documents.

Trump has long pushed for changes to the U.S. election system and last month issued a sweeping executive order that included a citizenship requirement among other election-related reforms. Republicans say the legislation, known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, is needed to ensure that only U.S. citizens participate in federal elections and would codify Trump’s directive into law.

“This bill is about restoring Americans’ confidence in our elections,” said Rep. Bryan Steil, a Wisconsin Republican who chairs the House Administration Committee, which oversees election policy. “It ensures noncitizens are not casting ballots in our federal elections.”

This is the second time Republicans have passed the SAVE Act in the House. It was approved last year but stalled in the Senate amid Democratic resistance.

Despite the GOP gaining control of the Senate last fall, the bill is expected to face the same fate again, as Republicans lack the 60 votes needed to overcome a Democratic filibuster.

GOP lawmakers have made voter integrity a central campaign theme, despite the fact that noncitizen voting is already illegal and exceedingly rare, carrying felony penalties and the risk of deportation.

Under the SAVE Act, anyone registering to vote using the federal voter registration form would be required to present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship in person at their local election office. Accepted documents would include a valid U.S. passport or a government-issued photo ID accompanied by a certified birth certificate.

Voting rights advocates and Democratic lawmakers argue the bill could lead to widespread disenfranchisement. A 2023 report by the Brennan Center for Justice estimated that roughly 9% of voting-age U.S. citizens—approximately 21.3 million people—do not have ready access to proof of citizenship. Nearly half of Americans do not hold a U.S. passport.

They point to Kansas as a cautionary example: A similar proof-of-citizenship law passed in 2011 led to over 31,000 eligible U.S. citizens being blocked from registering to vote. The law was later ruled unconstitutional and has not been enforced since 2018.

“Just to exercise their inalienable right as citizens of this country, Republicans would force Americans into a paperwork nightmare,” said Rep. Joe Morelle, a Democrat from New York. “This bill is really about disenfranchising Americans — not noncitizens, Americans.”