Senate to Hold Floor Vote on Popular House-Passed Voter ID Bill

The SAVE Act is designed to create a uniform federal standard for verifying voter eligibility

Under current law, individuals registering to vote for federal elections are required to attest, under penalty of perjury, that they are U. S. citizens, but they are not required to present documentation. Supporters of the bill argue that this system leaves states vulnerable to administrative errors and, in rare cases, non-citizen registrations. Opponents say the legislation is unnecessary and could lead to the disenfranchisement of eligible voters who may have difficulty obtaining the required documents. Civil rights organizations have warned that stricter requirements could disproportionately affect elderly, low-income and rural voters, as well as those born outside traditional hospital systems who may lack official birth certificates. Democrats have largely dismissed the bill as redundant, citing a lack of evidence that non-citizen voting is a widespread problem. The Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan policy institute that tracks election integrity issues, found that cases of non-citizen voting account for “a fraction of a fraction of a percent” of total ballots cast nationwide.