President Joe Biden appears committed to blocking the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would mandate proof of American citizenship for voter registration in federal elections.
The SAVE Act, introduced by Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) and co-sponsored by over 100 House Republicans, proposes that state election officials must ensure voter registration applicants provide proof of American citizenship before being added to the national voter rolls.
“Federal law has been interpreted to prohibit states from checking to see if you’re a citizen even though, technically, the law says you must be a citizen,” Rep. Chip Roy said.
This week, the Biden administration issued a statement regarding the SAVE Act, indicating their intention to prevent it from becoming law if it reaches the president’s desk.
“The administration strongly opposes H.R. 8281, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act,” the statement from the White House reads:
It is already illegal for noncitizens to vote in Federal elections — it is a Federal crime punishable by prison and fines. The alleged justification for this bill is based on easily disproven falsehoods. Additionally, making a false claim of citizenship or unlawfully voting in an election is punishable by removal from the United States and a permanent bar to admission. States already have effective safeguards in place to verify voters’ eligibility and maintain the accuracy of voter rolls. [Emphasis added]
This bill would do nothing to safeguard our elections, but it would make it much harder for all eligible Americans to register to vote and increase the risk that eligible voters are purged from voter rolls. The evidence is clear that the current laws to prevent noncitizen voting are working as intended — it is extraordinarily rare for noncitizens to break the law by voting in Federal elections. [Emphasis added]
Instead, the Biden administration argues that Congress should approve the Freedom to Vote Act, which aims to restore voting rights to millions of felons who have completed their prison terms. The bill also proposes nationwide mail-in voting and automatic voter registration across the country.
House Democrats are actively rallying votes against the SAVE Act, placing elected officials in swing districts in a challenging position just months before the November election.
The idea of mandating proof of U.S. citizenship for voting enjoys widespread popularity among Americans.
A 2022 poll revealed that 65% of Americans, including 48% of Democrats, 62% of swing voters, and 88% of Republicans, favor the requirement for proof of citizenship to vote.
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