Posted by Alumni from The Atlantic
February 19, 2026
Any legislation titled with a backronym is automatically suspect, and the SAVE America Act'that's Safeguard American Voter Eligibility'is no exception. A version of the bill languished last year, but President Trump is now pressuring Senate Republicans to pass it, among his other attempts to subvert the midterm elections. Although the bill seems unlikely to become a law, it could still create chaos and confusion about the race. The SAVE Act is relatively simple to understand: It requires that anyone wishing to vote provide documentation to prove they are a U.S. citizen. On an intuitive level, this might make sense, because noncitizens aren't permitted to vote. But the bill is a solution in search of a problem. States already have methods of verifying citizenship, and illegal voting by noncitizens is very rare. The bill also threatens to disenfranchise eligible voters. Although some of the bill's supporters may be sincere, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem committed a... learn more