SAVE Act Reintroduced in U.S. House and Senate, Requiring IDs and Proof of Citizenship for In-Person and Mail-In Voting. Millions of Eligible Voters Could Be Disenfranchised.

Brian Beihl

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Jan. 13, 2025

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

U.S. House and Senate Republicans reintroduced the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE Act, mandating proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections and requiring only certain types of ID be used.  Millions of American citizens could have trouble voting.

The spectre of noncitizen voting was a prominent rallying cry in Donald Trump’s 2024 Presidential campaign, despite no evidence of widespread illegal voting by noncitizens or any other group.  

A citizenship requirement to vote is already specified in the 15th and 19th amendments, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.   The U.S. Code Title 18 makes it a crime for noncitizens to vote in federal elections, subject to fines or imprisonment.

The SAVE Act mandates in-person registration with only certain types of ID and proof of citizenship. Only a Real ID-compliant driver’s license, Military ID, U.S. Passport, birth certificate or naturalization papers could be used to register and vote in federal elections, including mail-in voting. A 2024 Brennan Center for Justice study found that 9% of Americans don’t have ready access to citizenship documents – California wildfire victims for instance.  Voting could also be more difficult for the poor, young voters and college students, the elderly, and the disabled.

The SAVE Act previously died in the Senate, but with slim GOP majorities in both houses and Trump’s backing, its passage is possible.

Find more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

U.S. Rep. Chip Roy – Rep. Roy reintroduces bill to protect the integrity and sanctity of American elections
National Association of Counties – (2024) Congress again looks to consider the SAVE Act: What this bill could mean for counties
Democracy Docket – New Congress Takes Office Tomorrow — What This Means for Voting Rights
Brennan Center for Justice – (2024) Millions of Americans Don’t Have Documents Proving Their Citizenship Readily Available
League of Women Voters US – LWVUS joins a letter in opposition to the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act

Groups Taking Action:
League of Women Voters US, Declaration for American Democracy, ACLU, Bipartisan Policy Center

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #SAVEAct #VoterSuppression #VoterID