(Adnkronos) – The U.S. House of Representatives has approved the Save America Act, which would radically change voting rules, requiring proof of citizenship at the time of voter registration and significantly reducing mail-in voting. The bill, approved with 218 votes in favor and 213 against, will now face a tough battle in the Senate. The House had already approved a version of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility – the Save Act – in 2024 with three Democratic votes. However, without the support of the Democrats in the Senate as well, the law did not pass.
The Save America Act, introduced this year by Chip Roy of Texas, expands on the electoral law changes outlined in the 2024 bill, adding a national photo ID requirement for voting, with a more restrictive list of acceptable IDs than many states that already have voter identification requirements. Student IDs are explicitly prohibited. The implementation of the requirements of the original bill, including proof of citizenship, would take effect immediately, leaving states with the burden of adapting their voting systems to the new law.
The Southern Poverty Law Center estimates that 21 million Americans do not have either a copy of their birth certificate or a passport. These potential voters are more likely to be poor or people of color, the organization states. “We need to look at the issue in its totality,” said Rebekah Caruthers, president and CEO of the Fair Elections Center, according to whom “the point is to limit who can vote in this country.”
