Trump’s allies are planning to take over the Senate floor this week in a bid to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act, setting up a major test for Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), who is under pressure from Trump and the MAGA base to extend the debate over voting reform for as long as possible.
GOP senators are playing their cards close to the vest ahead of this week’s marathon debate over the SAVE America Act, which would require people registering to vote to show documented proof of citizenship.
But they’re bracing for long hours and possible late nights in a bid to build momentum for the bill, which already has broad public support. A recent Harvard CAPS/Harris poll of 1,999 registered voters found that 71% support the SAVE America Act.
Trump allies, frustrated that they aren’t able to force Democrats to stage a talking filibuster to block the bill, are pressing Thune to keep the measure on the floor as long as possible to force Democrats to defend their opposition.
What Is The SAVE America Act: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safeguard_American_Voter_Eligibility_Act
Opposition
Non-citizens voting in federal elections has been proven to be extremely rare and is already illegal under Section 216 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996.[9][10][11]
Opponents of the bill argue that it is intended to suppress voter turnout, as voter registration forms already require driver’s license numbers or the last four digits of the applicant’s Social Security number in compliance with the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), which registrars are required to use under HAVA to confirm eligibility through databases maintained by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Postal Service.[7][12] An analysis by the Center for American Progress found some voters in Alaska and Hawaii would need to fly to reach their election office in accordance with the in person requirement to vote by mail.[13] The analysis also found that an estimated 69 million women and 4 million men have a last name that does not match their birth certificate.[14] This provision would similarly impact transgender people whose legal names do not match their birth certificates.[15][10]
Research from the Brennan Center, “indicates that more than 9 percent of American citizens of voting age, or 21.3 million people, don’t have proof of citizenship readily available”.[16] The center said the act “would compel voter roll purges that are bound to sweep in eligible American voters” and that “when Arizona and Kansas implemented similar policies at the state level, tens of thousands of eligible citizens were blocked from registering”, concluding, “the SAVE Act’s proof-of-citizenship requirement is a solution in search of a problem”.[2]
According to the U.S. Vote Foundation, the SAVE Act would jeopardize voting registration access for US military service members serving abroad and other US citizens resident overseas.[17]