Washington, D.C. — The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act may be stalled in Congress, but a new report from the Center for American Progress warns that state versions of the legislation are being advanced around the country, making it harder for eligible American citizens to vote.
The report finds that 14 states now have SAVE Act-like laws on the books. These law require Americans to provide proof of their citizenship with either a passport or birth certificate to register to vote or stay registered. Twelve of those states have passed these laws since 2024.
“Lawmakers who support the SAVE Act have made clear that if they cannot get it done in Washington, D.C., they will get it done in state capitols across the country,” said Gréta Bedekovics, director of Democracy at CAP and author of the report. “The threat of these SAVE Act-like laws blocking American citizens from voting isn’t hypothetical. It is inevitable. Kansas and New Hampshire have already proven this.”
Of the 12 states that have recently passed SAVE Act-like laws, the report finds:
- Seven states have passed laws requiring documentary proof of citizenship from all those registering to vote. Five of these states—New Hampshire, Wyoming, South Dakota, Ohio, and Utah—plan to enforce these laws for the 2026 midterm elections, while two states, Florida and Louisiana, have not yet implemented their laws.
- Five states have passed laws mandating citizenship verification checks, including using the Department of Homeland Security’s Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system. This will result in some Americans having to prove their citizenship with documentation in order to stay registered to vote. These states are Kansas, Mississippi, Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee.
Read the report: “The SAVE Act May Be Stalled in Congress, But State Versions Are Being Advanced All Across the Country” by Gréta Bedekovics and Devon Ombres
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected].