April 28, 2025
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans on Thursday are expected to take up one of President Donald Trump’s top election-related priorities, legislation that would require proof of citizenship when registering to vote for federal elections.
Trump has long signaled a desire to change how elections are run in the U.S. and last month issued a sweeping executive order that includes a similar citizenship requirement, among other voting-related changes. Democrats and voting rights groups say the requirement could disenfranchise millions of Americans who lack ready access to the proper documents.
Top Republicans say the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act is necessary to ensure that only U.S. citizens cast ballots and “cements into law” Trump’s recent order, which is the subject of multiple lawsuits.
“If we have a noncitizen who votes in an election, that cancels out the vote of a legal citizen,” said U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, a Wisconsin Republican who chairs the House Committee on Administration, which handles election-related legislation.
Republicans hammered on the issue during last year’s presidential election. Voting by noncitizens is already illegal and can lead to felony charges and deportation.
This marks the GOP’s second attempt at passing the SAVE Act. As with the last Congress, the bill is unlikely to be approved in the Senate against Democratic opposition. Republicans have a narrow majority that falls short of the 60 votes they would need to overcome a filibuster.
The SAVE Act would require all applicants using the federal voter registration form to provide documentary proof of citizenship in person at their local election office. Among the acceptable documents are a valid U.S. passport and a government-issued photo ID card presented alongside a certified birth certificate.
Republicans have defended the legislation as necessary to restore public confidence in elections and say it allows states to adopt procedures to help voters comply. They have disputed Democratic characterizations of the bill.
“The truth is, those who were registered to vote would still be able to vote under their current registration,” said Rep. Chip Roy, a Texas Republican who sponsored the bill. “We have mechanisms giving the state fairly significant deference to make determinations as to how to structure the situation where an individual does have a name change, which of course is often women.”
