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Why Congress Should Pass the SAVE Act
Commentary by Rich Corbett
The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act – known as the SAVE Act or SAVE America Act – would require documentary proof of US citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections. The bill already has passed the House and is now before the Senate, which should deliver it to President Trump’s Resolute Desk without delay.
The bill amends the National Voter Registration Act to ensure that applicants provide acceptable documents such as a US passport, a REAL ID that indicates citizenship, a military ID with birth records or a birth certificate paired with photo ID. It includes provisions for name changes (like marriage certificates) and allows states to use the Department of Homeland Security’s SAVE database to verify records and maintain accurate voter rolls. Some versions also require photo ID at the polls for federal elections.
The goal is simple: Make certain that only US citizens vote in our federal elections.
Federal law already prohibits non-citizens from voting in federal elections, with penalties including fines, imprisonment and deportation. Yet registration currently depends almost entirely on self-attestation under penalty of perjury. That system leaves gaps.
Real-world checks reveal the issue. Texas identified over 2,700 potential non-citizens on its voter rolls through database cross-checks. Georgia’s audit of millions of voters found 20 non-citizens registered, with some having voted. Other states, including Virginia, have uncovered similar cases. While the overall numbers are small, even a few illegal votes undermine the principle that every citizen’s ballot counts equally – especially in tight races. With high levels of immigration in recent years, proactive safeguards make sense. The SAVE Act addresses the problem at registration rather than relying on after-the-fact enforcement.
Critics argue that non-citizen voting is extremely rare and that the bill would create barriers for millions of eligible Americans who lack easy access to passports or birth certificates. They often cite estimates that over 20 million citizens might struggle to provide the required documents.
These concerns deserve attention, but they are overstated. The bill accepts widely available alternatives and includes an alternative process for edge cases. Many states already help residents obtain birth certificates at low or no cost for voting purposes. Most Americans can readily provide or acquire the necessary records – the same way they do for other important government services. Arizona and other states with similar requirements have implemented them without widespread disenfranchisement.
Public support is strong and bipartisan. Recent polls show a majority of Americans – including many independents and even a notable share of Democrats – favor requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration. Requiring verification for voting is consistent with how we handle other high-stakes activities like boarding flights or opening bank accounts. Election integrity should meet at least that standard.
The SAVE Act is not about suppressing votes. It is about protecting the fundamental right of American citizens to choose their leaders without dilution. Every eligible voter benefits when confidence in the system is high. Local experiments with non-citizen voting in some jurisdictions only heighten the need for a clear federal standard: Citizenship required.
Congress has an opportunity to strengthen trust in our elections. Passing the SAVE Act is a common-sense step that enforces existing law more effectively. Senators should move forward and send it to the President.
Corbett is a contributing pundit for The Hustings and writes and publishes My Desultory Blog.
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Do the Math
Commentary by Stephen Macaulay
Mr. Corbett is absolutely right when he writes: “Real-world checks reveal the issue.”
So let’s look at some real-world numbers.
Mr. Corbett points out: “Texas identified over 2,700 potential non-citizens on its voter rolls through database cross-checks.”
While that “potential” is a bit sketchy, let’s take the 2,700 number.
According to Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson (R), there are 18,657,918 registered voters in the state as of last February.
So this means that if there truly are 2,700, this means 0.014% of the total.
There are 7,349,646 “total active voters” in Georgia according to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
If we take Corbett’s “Georgia’s audit of millions of voters found 20 non-citizens registered, with some having voted,” there is another bit of a dodge: “some” having voted.
But let’s take the 20.
Here the percentage is even less than that of Texas: 0.00027%
America doesn’t need saving through the SAVE Act.
What it needs are more politicians with the grasp of numbers.
“Every eligible voter benefits when confidence in the system is high.”
And based on the numbers Mr. Corbett presents, there is no reason to think that a large percentage don’t think there’s confidence in the system, were it not for ginned-up scare tactics.
Macaulay is pundit-at-large for The Hustings, where he comments primarily for the right column.