House Republicans have introduced legislation aimed at ensuring only U.S. citizens vote in federal elections by requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote.
The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act would also require states to create programs to remove non-citizens from existing voter rolls, and provide states zero cost access to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration databases in order to do so.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said during a press conference that “illegal aliens voting” in U.S. elections is “a clear and present danger to the integrity of our election system.”
“In the last five and a half months or so, I’ve been to over 101 cities doing events all around the country in more than half the states. The first or second question that I’m asked in every public forum is about election security,” said Johnson. “Americans are deeply concerned about this. And it doesn’t matter where you live or whether you’re in a blue state or a red state, everyone’s concerned.”
In at least 16 states, illegal aliens are eligible for driver’s licenses, while other states have been providing thousands of non-citizens voter registration forms, which provides “ample opportunities to illegally register to vote in federal elections,” according to a fact sheet on the bill.
Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) introduced the SAVE Act, with the support of 48 GOP House members who co-sponsored the bill.
The proposed legislation will also allow citizens to bring civil lawsuits against election officials that fail to uphold proof of citizenship requirements for federal elections, while adding penalties for officials that allow non-citizens to register to vote.
“Secure elections are a key cornerstone for any representative government; without them, we won’t have a country,” Roy said in a statement.
“Radical progressive Democrats know this and are using open border policies while also attacking election integrity laws to fundamentally remake America,” he added. “That’s why I am proud to introduce the SAVE Act with Speaker Johnson and my Republican colleagues, along with the invaluable support of citizens and organizations that recognize we must end the practice of non-citizens voting in our elections.”
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