The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act on Feb. 11 to address alleged issues of non-citizen voting. While this bill claims to curb voter fraud, its impact could make voting much more difficult for a large number of U.S. citizens including married women, transgender and disabled people, an issue that is especially pertinent as we approach the 2026 midterm elections.

More specifically, the SAVE Act, sponsored by Republican Texas Representative Chip Roy, would require people to “provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections.” This requirement sounds reasonable enough at face value, but it’s what lies between the lines that carries the potential for great harm to millions of voters.

Currently, voter registration documentation requirements are not streamlined throughout the country, as some states require photo identification while others allow other forms of identification. New York state, for example, requires a driver’s license number, non-driver’s ID number or the last four digits of your social security number for voter registration. If those cannot be provided, registrants can also provide a copy of a current and valid photo ID, a current utility bill, a bank statement, a government check or paycheck or a government document that shows their name and address.

Documentary proof of citizenship under the SAVE Act, which would apply to all states, would strictly include a Real ID, a U.S. passport, a military identification card with a record of service or a government-issued photo ID that shows the applicant’s place of birth as the U.S. Alternatively, individuals could use a different form of government-issued photo ID when accompanied by a birth certificate, Record of Birth from a U.S. hospital, adoption decree, Consular Report of a Birth Abroad of a citizen of the U.S., naturalization certificate or an American Indian Card. No state would be allowed to accept a voter registration application without this documentary proof. In the case of mail-in voter registration, an individual would not be registered to vote in federal elections without bringing this documentation in person to the office of the appropriate election official.

Republican lawmakers are attempting to present this bill as “common-sense logic,” but in doing that they are ignoring the significant obstacles that it creates for several groups in the country. Only about half of Americans have a valid passport, and many people do not have access to their birth certificate or record of birth. In the case that somebody needed to use their birth certificate but had since changed their name so that their ID card didn’t match, they would not be able to register to vote. This is where married women and transgender citizens are faced with issues, as many people with names that have been legally changed will have to ensure they have other accepted documentation in order to register, creating an imbalance in voting access compared to other groups. Additionally, young, disabled, rural and Tribal citizens are often less likely to have access to the proper documentation for registration due to accessibility barriers, creating further complications when they are trying to vote. Though one can argue that it is still possible for these groups to register, the bill is still not equitable given that certain groups of people will face more obstacles to exercise their constitutional right to vote.

It is important to note that under the Constitution, elections are primarily covered by state law, not federal. This bill would nationalize part of the election process, taking away part of the states’ freedom. Though it is not specifically unconstitutional, it is certainly wavering on the line.

Proponents of the legislation argue that it is straightforward, with the White House calling it “commonsense legislation” to “protect federal elections from fraud and abuse.” President Donald Trump and Republican officials argue that it will help prevent non-citizens from voting, but this is simply a solution to a nonexistent problem. It is already illegal for non-citizens to vote in federal elections, and research shows that only 0.4% of voter verification cases are revealed to be non-citizens.

Even if this miniscule statistic is enough to convince people of an issue, the obstacles for eligible citizens outweigh any potential benefits of fraud reduction. The process for getting a passport can be lengthy and expensive, and it can be extremely difficult to get original copies of the necessary documents to accompany lower forms of identification. If we make it more difficult for people to vote, we are actively discouraging them from voting.

It is no surprise that these groups of voters are potentially being silenced given the Trump administration’s public stances and actions against women and the LGBTQ+ community. Additionally, 86% of LGBTQ+ voters in 2024 were voting Democrat, so it’s unlikely Republican leaders want to encourage this community’s vote. As midterm elections approach this fall, it is possible that this full government Republican majority could be flipped in the House and/or the Senate. With Trump’s approval rating sitting at just 39% after his one-year mark in office, it makes sense that Republicans are getting nervous as opportunities to put Democratic leaders in power draw near.

In a country where voting is a constitutional right and the backbone of the democratic process, we must take any threat to this liberty very seriously. Free and fair elections are absolutely crucial to maintain a healthy democracy, and that includes keeping these elections equally accessible to all voters. Voter turnout is critical to successful governance and representative policymaking, creating increased trust in the government and better communication between elected officials and their constituents.

Every eligible citizen in this country should be afforded the right to vote, and if that is taken away, the rest of our democracy will crumble. Call your representatives and talk to people you know to inform them about the risks of this legislation. However you decide to respond, do not let the true impacts of this act go unnoticed.