Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act or the SAVE America Act This bill requires individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote, and requires photo identification to vote, in federal elections. Specifically, the bill prohibits states from accepting and processing an application to register to vote in a federal election unless the applicant presents documentary proof of U.S. citizenship. The bill specifies what documents are considered acceptable proof of U.S. citizenship, such as identification that complies with the REAL ID Act of 2005 that indicates U.S. citizenship, a valid U.S. passport, or a valid government-issued photo identification card that shows the applicant's place of birth was in the United States. Further, the bill (1) requires states to accept and process a voter registration application in the event of a name discrepancy in the applicant's documentation, as long as the applicant provides additional documentation; and (2) requires states to establish an alternative process to demonstrate U.S. citizenship. Within 30 days of the bill's enactment, each state must take affirmative steps on an ongoing basis to ensure that only U.S. citizens are registered to vote, which shall include establishing a program to identify individuals who are not U.S. citizens using information supplied by certain sources. Further, each state must submit its complete official list of eligible voters to the Department of Homeland Security for comparison with the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements system, which is used to verify immigration status. Individuals who are identified as noncitizens must be given the opportunity to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship. Additionally, states must remove noncitizens from their official lists of eligible voters. The bill (1) provides for a private right of action for certain violations, and (2) establishes criminal penalties for certain offenses. The bill prohibits a state or local election official from providing a ballot for a federal election to an individual who does not present valid physical photo identification. An individual who does not present the required identification must be permitted to cast a provisional ballot. However, an election official may not determine that the individual is eligible under state law to vote in the election unless, not later than three days after casting the provisional ballot, the individual presents (1) the identification requ…
CRS summary — Passed House (2026-02-11)
| Date | Chamber | Question | Yea–Nay | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-11 | House | On Motion to Commit | 214–217 | Failed | |
| 2026-02-11 | House | On Passage | 218–213 | Passed | ⭐ Margin ≤ 5% |
| 2026-03-17 | Senate | On the Motion to Proceed | 51–48 | Motion to Proceed Agreed to | |
| 2026-03-21 | Senate | On the Cloture Motion | 49–41 | Cloture Motion Rejected | |
| 2026-03-21 | Senate | On the Cloture Motion | 41–49 | Cloture Motion Rejected | |
| 2026-03-24 | Senate | On the Motion to Table | 53–47 | Motion to Table Agreed to | |
| 2026-03-24 | Senate | On the Motion to Table | 53–47 | Motion to Table Agreed to | |
| 2026-03-26 | Senate | On the Cloture Motion | 53–47 | Cloture Motion Rejected |
Senate counts are senators only; a Vice President tie-breaking vote is not included (e.g. 50–50, passed).