Atlanta — Last night, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the SAVE America Act, a sweeping voter suppression bill backed by Donald Trump and House Republicans that could block tens of millions of Americans from voting. The bill will head to the U.S. Senate next. Lauren Groh-Wargo, CEO of Fair Fight Action, released the following statement:

“Picture this: it’s October 2026, you’ve been purged from the rolls with no time to correct it - and you're blocked from voting. New federal mandates require specific and expensive documents most Americans don't have available, local election offices are buried in re-registrations due to voter purges, and the registration deadline has passed. Trump and his allies are manufacturing a fake crisis built on a lie to block millions of Americans from voting, people like you and me.”

Background • Key Facts on the SAVE America Act:

1. Proof of Citizenship Requirement: The SAVE America Act mandates voters present expensive and difficult to obtain government-issued proof of citizenship documents (like a passport or certified birth certificate) to register to vote in federal elections — even though only U.S. citizens can already legally register and vote and must attest to their status under penalty of perjury. This new version of the SAVE Act also requires a photo ID to vote in federal elections.
2. Tens of Millions Americans’ Voting Rights at Risk: Over 21 million U.S. citizens — especially low-income Americans, seniors, rural voters, and people of color — do not have immediate access to the documents the SAVE America Act would require. Over 34.5 million Americans either don’t have a driver’s license or state ID, or have one that doesn’t have their current name and/or address on it.
3. Mandatory Voter Roll Checks and Purges: Directs states to submit their voter rolls through the Department of Homeland Security’s SAVE database, dramatically increasing the risk of eligible voters being mistakenly removed from the voter rolls. Effectively ends the long-standing 90-day quiet period that protects voters from being purged close to an election, when errors are hardest to correct.
4. Expanded Federal Involvement in Elections: Requires states to share voter roll data with the federal government, raising concerns about the misuse of sensitive voter information. Comes amid broader federal actions and rhetoric calling for centralized control over elections, including President Trump’s statements urging Republicans to “nationalize” elections. Experts warn the SAVE America Act is Trump’s blatant legislative power grab.
5. Not a Voter ID Law: Goes far beyond traditional voter ID requirements, which typically apply at the polls. It conditions access to voter registration — and in some cases continued eligibility — on producing specific government documents. Voting rights experts warn the law would disproportionately impact young voters, voters of color, married women, and voters who move frequently.
6. Based on Right-Wing Lies: The SAVE America Act is rooted in false right-wing claims about widespread noncitizen voting. But federal law already makes it illegal for noncitizens to register or vote in federal elections — and there’s no evidence this is a real problem. Even the conservative Heritage Foundation, the architects of Trump’s Project 2025, found just 85 cases of noncitizen voting out of 2 billion ballots cast over the past 20 years.
7. Criminalize Election Officials: The SAVE America Act opens the door to criminal penalties for election officialswho register voters without documentary proof of citizenship, even if those voters are eligible. This could intimidate election officials, discourage lawful voter registration, and undermine trust in local election administration.
8. The SAVE America Act Mirrors Trump’s Executive Order: The bill’s key provisions mirror Trump’s March 2025 elections executive order, including requirements for onerous documentary proof of citizenship documents and the potential to force mass voter purges. Key parts of the order were blocked in court.

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