More States Passing SAVE America Act Requirements

Senate Majority Leader John Thune adjourned the chamber early Saturday morning for a month-long recess, leaving Washington without delivering one of President Donald Trump’s most important election-integrity priorities.

The South Dakota Republican ended the session after the Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as the nation’s 88th attorney general.

With fewer than 90 days remaining before the closely contested midterm elections, however, senators departed without approving the SAVE America Act.

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act would require documentary proof of American citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections. It would also require voters to present photo identification before casting federal ballots.

The House has approved the legislation multiple times, but the bill remains stalled in the Senate.

While Washington has failed to act, Republican-led states are moving independently to strengthen citizenship verification and protect their voter rolls, according to the Daily Signal.

Seven states have recently enacted both citizenship-verification and voter-identification requirements. Ballotpedia reports that five additional states had already adopted laws requiring documentary proof of citizenship during voter registration.

State authority over federal registration procedures remains restricted by a 2013 Supreme Court ruling involving the National Voter Registration Act.

The court held that the NVRA limits states’ ability to demand documentary proof of citizenship from applicants using the federal voter-registration form.

Commonly known as the Motor Voter Act, the NVRA expanded registration opportunities through state motor-vehicle departments and other government offices. Critics argue that the federal system also prevents states from applying stronger eligibility safeguards to everyone attempting to register.

Even Thune’s home state has acted while the federal legislation remains trapped in the Senate.

South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden signed Senate Bill 175 in March, requiring prospective voters to provide documentary evidence of American citizenship when registering.

Acceptable records include qualifying driver’s licenses, state identification cards, tribal identification, birth certificates, passports, Consular Reports of Birth Abroad, and naturalization certificates.

The objective is straightforward: establish citizenship before adding an individual to the voter rolls.

Kansas adopted a related approach through the SAVE Kansas Act.

The law requires the secretary of state to compare Kansas voter-registration records with the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements database to locate individuals who are legally ineligible to vote.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the proposal, but Republicans in the Kansas Legislature overrode her veto and enacted the measure.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the Florida SAVE Act in April, with its principal provisions scheduled to take effect in 2027.

The law directs state officials to verify the citizenship of new applicants and individuals updating their voter registrations by comparing their information with records maintained by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

When those records cannot confirm citizenship, election officials may request additional documentation, including a birth certificate, American passport, or naturalization certificate.

The Florida law also permits officials to consult available state and federal databases and establishes procedures for removing individuals determined to be ineligible under state law.

Mississippi enacted Senate Bill 2588, known as the SHIELD Act, which took effect July 1.

The legislation requires local election officials to compare voter-registration information with state driver’s license and identification records. Officials may also use the federal SAVE database when additional verification is necessary.

Applicants flagged as possible noncitizens can be required to provide documentary evidence of American citizenship before their registration is completed.

Utah, Ohio, and Wyoming have enacted similar election-integrity laws, according to the Daily Signal.

These state initiatives demonstrate that Republican governors and legislatures are not waiting for Washington to address a basic principle: Only eligible American citizens should participate in American elections.

Yet state action cannot fully substitute for uniform federal safeguards.

Because congressional elections operate under both state and federal rules, the SAVE America Act would establish consistent citizenship and identification requirements nationwide rather than leaving election security dependent on political leadership in each state.

Even if Thune eventually finds a path to passage when senators return, the lengthy delay has already produced serious consequences.

Election administrators need time to adopt new procedures, update databases, educate staff, and notify voters. With the midterms rapidly approaching, Congress may have waited too long for the legislation to affect the 2026 election cycle.

The House acted. Republican-led states acted. President Trump repeatedly demanded action.

The Senate went on vacation.