The SAVE Act (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act) is a federal proposal that focuses on proving citizenship in order to register to vote in U.S. federal elections.

Here’s the Quick Scoop on what it requires:

What does the SAVE Act require?

In plain terms, the SAVE Act would make states verify that someone is a U.S. citizen before putting them on the voter rolls for federal elections.

Key requirements include:

  1. Documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register
    • States must require people registering to vote in federal elections to show documentary proof of U.S. citizenship.
 * Acceptable documents listed in the bill include things like:
   * U.S. passport.

   * U.S. birth certificate that meets specific criteria (issued where you were born, with your full name, date/place of birth, parents’ names, state seal, etc.).

   * Consular Report of Birth Abroad.

   * Naturalization Certificate or Certificate of Citizenship.

   * Certain American Indian Cards with specific classifications (e.g., “KIC”).
  1. Verification duty on states
    • States must verify that an applicant is a U.S. citizen as part of the voter registration process, rather than simply accepting a checked box or attestation.
 * States have to record the type of document used to prove citizenship (document type, issuing office, issue/expiration dates, ID number).
  1. Changes to federal voter-registration forms
    • The federal voter registration form must be updated to:
      • Ask, “Are you a citizen of the United States?” and, if the applicant says yes, require documentary proof of citizenship before providing the form.
   * Include a section for election officials to log what citizenship document was provided.
  1. Handling cases without documents
    • If an applicant cannot provide documentary proof but a state/local official believes citizenship is sufficiently shown through other verified information, the official must sign an affidavit swearing that the person has sufficiently established U.S. citizenship.
 * A national, uniform affidavit template is to be developed by the Election Assistance Commission, including an explanation of the minimum standards for registering an applicant who lacks documentary proof.
  1. Grounds for removing or denying registration
    • The Act clarifies that a registration can be denied or canceled if:
      • The person did not provide documentary proof of citizenship at registration.
   * Officials have documentary proof or verified information that the person is **not** a U.S. citizen.

What’s the purpose behind it?

Supporters frame the SAVE Act as a way to prevent non‑citizens from voting in federal elections by tightening front-end checks at registration.

Critics argue that:

  • Proven instances of non‑citizen voting are extremely rare.
  • Requiring specific documents can make it harder for eligible citizens—especially those who moved states, older voters, low-income people, and some married women who changed names—to register and stay registered.

A typical concern raised in forum discussions is what happens if your birth certificate is from a state far away from where you now live; you may need to locate and order certified documents, which adds time, cost, and potential obstacles to registering.

Where things stand now (early 2026)

  • The House has passed a version of the SAVE Act, and debates continue over its impact on voter access and election integrity.
  • Advocacy groups focused on voting rights are actively campaigning against it, arguing it would “undermine voting access” for communities already facing barriers.

Bottom note:
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.