Six years after the 2020 presidential election, President Donald Trump continues to claim the race was marred by voter fraud and election insecurity — assertions that have helped fuel Republican support for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE Act.
Now, as the Senate takes up the legislation, critics warn the proposal could make it harder for millions of eligible Americans to vote. Supporters say it is needed to secure elections, though there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud.
The bill, which passed the House in 2025, would require people registering to vote in federal elections to provide documented proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate or passport, along with a government-issued photo ID.
Voting rights groups say those requirements could create new barriers, particularly for people who lack easy access to official documents or whose records do not match.
The Brennan Center for Justice estimates that 21.3 million voting-age citizens do not have documents such as birth certificates or passports readily available, while another 3.8 million lack them entirely.
“Under these bills, most voters wouldn’t be able to register to vote with their driver’s license alone,” the Campaign Legal Center wrote.
Advocates also warn that obtaining required documents can come with costs that create additional hurdles. A U.S. passport, for example, can cost about $130, with additional fees for processing or travel.
According to the Brennan Center, two-thirds of Black Americans do not have a valid U.S. passport, and passport ownership declines as income falls. Older Americans and rural residents are also less likely to possess passports.
The American Civil Liberties Union says documentation requirements could also create complications for people whose legal names differ across records, including married women, adoptees and transgender individuals.
Supporters of the bill dispute those concerns.
“The SAVE Act itself contemplates these name changes and provides protections so that Americans who have changed their names — because of marriage or otherwise — are not prevented from voting,” the Federalist Society said.
Supporters say the measure would strengthen election integrity and ensure that only U.S. citizens participate in federal elections.
Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, said the bill reflects requirements already used in many states.
“This is what we do in my home state. … We have voter ID, we have citizenship requirements, we’ve had so for years,” Hawley said. “This is not nuts.”
Sen. Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky who supports the SAVE Act, said a procedural vote could determine whether the bill can advance to a final vote. The measure faces long odds in the Senate, where it would typically need 60 votes to advance and has drawn near-unified Democratic opposition.
Rep. Wesley Bell, a Democrat from Missouri, called it “a manufactured crisis based on falsehoods about the 2020 election.”
Supporters say the bill responds to concerns about election security, even as studies suggest documented cases of noncitizen voting are rare. A Washington Post analysis of the Heritage Foundation’s voter fraud database found 85 such cases nationwide between 2002 and 2023.
Federal law already prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections.
The debate also comes as the U.S. Department of Justice has requested unredacted voter registration records from at least 40 states, including Missouri — a move some voting rights advocates describe as another potential voter suppression tactic.
In a press statement, Xavier Persad of the ACLU called the bill a “dangerous assault on democracy.”
“Laws like this have historically resulted in many eligible citizens being delayed or denied access to the ballot,” Persad wrote.
The Senate’s consideration of the SAVE Act comes as public confidence in elections remains unsettled.
A PBS News/NPR/Marist poll found two-thirds of Americans say they are confident their state or local government will conduct fair and accurate elections, down from levels measured before the 2024 presidential election.
“It’s the politicians driving the cart,” said Lee Miringoff of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion.
With the Senate closely divided, the SAVE Act’s future remains uncertain as the debate over voting access and election security continues.
Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.