House Passes Bill Requiring Proof of Citizenship and Photo ID for Federal Elections

Overview

• The House approved the SAVE America Act on a 218–213 vote, sending the bill to the Senate for consideration.
• The legislation would require proof of U.S. citizenship at voter registration for this year's midterm elections and impose criminal penalties on officials who register voters without required documents.
• Republicans added a photo ID mandate for future federal elections that would apply to both in-person voting and mailed ballots.
• House leaders Mike Johnson and Steve Scalise describe the plan as common-sense election protection, while Democrats and groups such as the Brennan Center warn it could disenfranchise citizens without easy access to passports or birth certificates.
• Noncitizen voting in federal contests is already illegal and documented instances are rare, and the push for new requirements stems from Trump's false claims of widespread illegal voting.