The SAVE Act Is Dangerous for Democracy

By Lauren Kunis

The SAVE Act is part of a broader trend of restrictive voting laws rooted in a misleading narrative about voter fraud.

Do not be fooled by the euphemistic name: The SAVE Act (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act) would be terrible for democracy by creating powerful new barriers to voter registration for eligible US citizens.

This dangerous and unnecessary bill would require that voters present “documentary proof of citizenship” (e.g. a vital document proving US citizenship like a US birth certificate, US passport, or naturalization certificate) to register to vote.

This legislation is being put forth as part of a sweeping and wholly false narrative that noncitizens are voting in federal elections. In reality, every state already requires that voters affirm their US citizenship at the time they register. The existing penalties for non-US citizens to attempt to vote in federal elections are steep and serious. Our current laws are already extremely effective at preventing unlawful voter registration and voting.

Growing Barriers to Voting

VoteRiders’ research shows that millions of Americans would not be able to comply with the documentary proof of citizenship requirements set out by the SAVE Act, and would be blocked from voter registration if it were enacted.

As I shared with NPR, 21.3 million people (that’s 9.1% of voting-age American citizens) do not have easy access to proof of citizenship documents. Millions of voters do not possess these documents in the first place. They may have been lost or stolen, and the financial, time, and bureaucratic barriers to replacing them are prohibitive. Some voters, particularly elderly voters and especially elderly Black voters in the South, were born outside of hospitals and may never have received a birth certificate at all.

We know how difficult locating and replacing these documents can be, because VoteRiders works with eligible voters every day who are in need of help navigating these expensive and time consuming bureaucratic “doom loops”. (Just check out Edward’s story, who had to visit a DMV two dozen times before getting his state ID.)

Stricter rules like the SAVE Act will disproportionately impact voters of color, but the harm does not stop there. Millions would be unable to register or vote, spanning geographies, political ideologies, and affiliations — weakening our shared democracy.

This is Part of a Harmful Trend

The SAVE Act is part of a larger trend making it harder for people to vote. Voter ID laws are part of a broad, well-funded, and deliberate effort to block millions of Americans from the voting booth. Voter ID requirements aren’t about security at the ballot box, they’re about blocking voters from accessing it.

Currently, 38 states have voter ID laws of some kind. This is the highest number in our nation’s history, and new ones are being proposed every day. They are directly responsible for millions of voters being turned away from the polls or not showing up at all due to confusion, shame, or fear.

What You Can Do Now

The spreading of disinformation and fear is intended to suppress broad and diverse voter engagement and turnout.

Here’s what we can do to help voters who want to participate in our democracy even as voter ID laws multiply:

  1. Tell Congress to STOP the SAVE Act and focus on protecting and expanding voting rights instead of making it more difficult for eligible Americans to vote.
  2. Spread the word. If you or anyone you know needs accurate, up-to-date information about whether you need ID to vote or what ID you can use, VoteRiders.org is always updated with trustworthy and accurate information.
  3. Volunteer. Our volunteers help us reach millions of at risk voters through texting, letter writing, and one-on-one help. Check our current volunteer opportunities here.
  4. Donate. Every dollar helps us reach more voters and cover their fees when securing an ID. 

For more than 12 years, VoteRiders has helped millions of eligible voters understand the voter ID laws where they live and secure their ID. As the need grew, so did we. And we don’t plan to back off or slow down anytime soon.

Thanks to our incredible staff, our network of nearly 2,000 partner organizations, the dedication of our 10,000 volunteers, and the thousands of VoteRiders donors and supporters, we can reach millions of people with the information and free help they need in order to participate in our democracy.

Lauren Kunis is VoteRiders’ CEO and Executive Director. 

Updated April 9, 2025 (Originally published July 11, 2024)