Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) in introducing the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act.
Current law makes it illegal for non-citizens to vote in federal elections, but it does not require states to verify that every person has U.S. citizenship before he or she registers to vote.
The SAVE Act would amend the National Voter Registration Act to clarify that every state must require proof of citizenship (e.g., a REAL ID compliant driver’s license or U.S. passport) when it registers individuals to vote in federal elections.
“Americans know that U.S. citizenship is sacred and that foreign nationals shouldn’t get to vote in our elections any more than Americans should be able to vote in French or Nigerian elections. The SAVE Act would make sure that people who aren’t even citizens don’t cancel out Louisianians’ or other Americans’ voices at the ballot box,” said Kennedy.
Since the 2020 presidential election, illegal immigrants residing in the U.S. have increased, making it even more necessary to make sure that every person voting in American elections has proven that he or she is a U.S. citizen.
The SAVE Act would also:
- Require states to establish a process to remove foreign nationals from existing voter rolls.
- Increase federal penalties for individuals who register foreign nationals to vote in federal elections.
- Establish acceptable ways for individuals to prove their U.S. citizenship and require states to establish their own processes of demonstrating that citizenship when a person does not have legal documentation.
