House Democrats are being encouraged by party leaders to vote against a Republican-backed proposal set to hit the House floor this week. The measure would mandate proof of U.S. citizenship for voting in federal elections.
In a letter addressed to House Democrats, House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) argues that the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act is “irresponsibly” calling into question the validity of U.S. elections after the 2020 contest.
“There has been zero evidence” of the fraud that the bill is trying to target, her office said, adding that it is “already illegal under current law for noncitizens to register to vote or to vote in federal elections.”
Ms. Clark’s letter also stated that the SAVE Act would impose stringent restrictions on voters, specifying that if passed, the “only acceptable standalone form of identification for use in voter registration would be a passport (or passport card).”
“A REAL ID drivers’ license, a Tribal ID, or a military ID would be unacceptable unless coupled with additional documentation, such as a birth certificate or an extract from a birth record that proves the applicant was born in the United States,” the Democrat whip said.
“This would be an extreme burden for countless Americans, including military voters, Native voters, people who have changed their names (including tens of millions of American women), the elderly, the young, the poor, and naturalized citizens.”
The letter also mentioned that senior Democrat Rep. Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) “strongly opposes this bill as written.”
Under the measure introduced by Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), potential voters would need to provide “documentary proof of United States citizenship” to vote in federal elections, including presidential elections.
According to the text of the proposed bill, acceptable forms of identification could include a passport, a photo ID card indicating the voter’s U.S. birthplace, or another form of photo ID, along with documents demonstrating U.S. birth, such as a birth certificate.
In addition to ID rules, the bill would require removing noncitizens from voter rolls. Election officials would need to ask them for proof of U.S. citizenship and inform them of the consequences if they’re not citizens before offering voter registration forms.
According to the text, the bill would also instruct the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees various immigration agencies, to assess whether officials should start deportation proceedings for noncitizens found registered to vote in federal elections.
Last week, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) publicly endorsed the measure in several social media posts. His office also released a report supporting the SAVE Act.
“There is irrefutable evidence that noncitizens have been illegally registering to vote and have illegally voted in U.S. elections,” the 22-page report asserted. The report cited a 2014 study that analyzed 2008 and 2010 elections and found that, “Noncitizen voting likely changed 2008 outcomes including Electoral College votes and the composition of Congress.”
The report also found that noncitizen voters tend to “favor Democratic candidates over Republican candidates,” and noted that some noncitizens have voted despite long-standing legal prohibitions.
“Loopholes in federal law could allow noncitizens to register to vote,” Mr. Johnson’s report concluded, adding that Congress should pass the measure to “restore Americans’ confidence in U.S. elections.”
The Republican speaker also addressed Democrat’s concerns that the bill would make voting more difficult for American citizens. He wrote on X that a “wide variety of documents” would be accepted for voter registration.
Some courts have already ruled on bills requiring documentary proof of citizenship. In Arizona, Republican-backed measures were passed in both state houses and signed into law by the governor. In March, a federal judge largely upheld proof-of-citizenship laws for voters in federal elections.
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