House passes Save America Act, Trump-backed bill to impose new voting rules
Guardian2 days
House Passes SAVE America Act Requiring Voter ID, Citizenship Proof
Is this bill common-sense election security or a modern poll tax that suppresses legitimate voters?
Above: Voters in Merrick, N.Y., on Nov. 4, 2025. Image credit: James Carbone/Newsday RM/Getty Images
The Spin
Republican narrative
The SAVE America Act simply ensures election integrity by requiring proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections, which most Americans already assume is the law. Democrats have blocked this common-sense bill for nine months because secure elections with clear rules threaten their political advantage in swing states. Requiring documentation to vote is no different than requiring a birth certificate for school enrollment or youth sports and there's no legitimate argument against it.
Democratic narrative
This bill functions as a modern poll tax, requiring passports costing $165 or birth certificates costing $40 to vote — creating barriers for millions of eligible voters. This legislation targets women who changed their names, poor Americans, older citizens and people of color under the false pretense of preventing voter fraud that studies have repeatedly debunked. Making voting expensive and complicated solves a nonexistent problem while suppressing legitimate voters.