The SAVE Act would create a national photo ID requirement for federal elections and require proof of citizenship to register. Here’s what’s in the bill and why it matters. 

Most Americans assume you have to prove you’re a U.S. citizen to register to vote. You don’t. 

And most Americans don’t have to show a photo ID when they cast a ballot. 

Congress could change both of those things soon. 

This week, the House is voting on a bill that would overhaul how Americans register and vote in federal elections – requiring proof of U.S. citizenship to register and a photo ID to cast a ballot. Supporters call it commonsense. Critics warn it could block millions of eligible voters. 

The proposal, known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or the SAVE Act, is back after stalling out last year. The House is set to vote on the bill on February 11th. 

Here’s what it does, who it affects, and why it’s suddenly front and center again.

What the SAVE Act Does  

The SAVE Act applies only to federal elections – races for Congress and the presidency – not state or local contests. 

First, it would change how Americans register to vote in federal elections. Under the bill, applicants would be required to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to state or local election officials as part of the voter registration process. 

That proof could include: 

• a U.S. passport, 

• certain military or government-issued photo IDs that list a U.S. birthplace, 

• or a photo ID plus a birth certificate or naturalization certificate. 

Importantly, the new “REAL ID” driver’s licenses don’t qualify on their own. REAL ID confirms lawful presence, not citizenship, and in many states it’s issued to both citizens and non-citizens. Unless a REAL ID explicitly indicates U.S. citizenship, it would need to be paired with a birth certificate or naturalization certificate to satisfy the SAVE Act’s requirements. 

Second, the SAVE Act would create a national photo ID requirement for voting in federal elections. Voters casting a ballot in person would be required to present a valid photo ID, such as a driver’s license, passport, military ID, or another government-issued identification that includes the voter’s name and photograph. 

Voters casting a ballot by mail would be required to include a photocopy of a valid photo ID with their ballot. The bill directs states to ensure voters have access to scanners and printers so they can make copies of their ID for free.

How the SAVE Act Would Change Voter ID and Registration Laws 

Today, election rules vary widely from state to state – especially when it comes to voter ID and proof of citizenship. 

Only 23 states currently require voters to show a photo ID. Another 12 states require some form of identification, but it does not have to include a photograph. In 15 states plus Washington, DC, voters are not required to show any identification at all. In those states, voters typically verify their identity by stating their name and address, signing a poll book, and having that signature matched against the one on file from voter registration records. 

If the SAVE Act becomes law, that patchwork system would be replaced with a single national standard. All voters casting ballots in federal elections – in every state – would be required to present a valid photo ID, either in person or by submitting a copy with a mail ballot. 

The gap is even wider when it comes to proof of citizenship. Only four states – Arizona, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming – currently require voters to prove their citizenship as part of the registration process. 

And still, voting by non-citizens is exceedingly rare. A Center for Election Innovation & Research analysis of the 2024 election in Michigan found just 16 credible cases of non-citizen voting out of 5.7 million ballots cast. In Utah, a comprehensive audit of the voter rolls earlier this year identified one non-citizen among more than two million registered voters. 

What Happens If You Don’t Have the Documents? 

Some people simply don’t have a birth certificate or passport. Others may have a different name now than what’s on their birth certificate, because they got married or divorced, were adopted, or changed their name for any number of reasons. 

Under the SAVE Act, states would create a fallback process for people in those situations. 

Working under guidance from the federal Election Assistance Commission, states would let applicants sign a sworn affidavit attesting that they are U.S. citizens and submit “other evidence” of citizenship to a local election official. 

The bill doesn’t spell it out, but that “other evidence” could include records that help explain missing or mismatched paperwork, such as documents linking a birth certificate to a person’s current legal name or other government records that help establish citizenship when standard documents aren’t readily available.

How Many People Could Be Affected? 

That depends less on citizenship than on paperwork. 

A 2025 study from the University of Maryland looked at how many voting-eligible Americans actually possess proof of citizenship, and how easily they can access it. 

They found that 3.8 million citizens – about 2% of eligible voters – don’t have any documentary proof of citizenship. Another 17.5 million people – roughly 7% of eligible voters – do have proof, but don’t have “easy access” to it. 

The researchers define “easy access” as being able to retrieve the document within 24 hours if required. If your birth certificate is in another state, lost, held by a family member, or locked in a filing system that takes weeks to navigate, you’re counted as lacking easy access. 

What the Public Thinks 

The SAVE Act may be divisive in Washington, but Americans are overwhelmingly united in believing that a voter ID and proof of citizenship are necessary to vote. 

An October 2024 Gallup poll found that 84% of Americans support requiring photo ID to vote, and 83% support requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote. This includes two-thirds of Democrats, 84% of independents, and nearly 100% of Republicans. 

But although most Americans support voter ID and proof of citizenship, some still believe states – not the federal government – should be the one setting the standards. As Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska, put it: “Not only does the U.S. Constitution clearly provide states the authority to regulate the ‘times, places, and manner’ of holding federal elections, but one-size-fits-all mandates from Washington, D.C., seldom work in places like Alaska.” 

The debate over the SAVE Act ultimately comes down to a familiar tension: how to strengthen confidence in elections without creating new barriers for eligible voters. Whether the bill strikes the right balance – or simply shifts that tradeoff onto states and local officials – is the question Congress is now poised to answer.