House passes bill requiring proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections

WASHINGTON — The House passed a bill Thursday that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections in an effort to codify one of President Donald Trump’s executive actions from his second term.

Lawmakers approved the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act in a 220-208 vote, with four Democrats joining every Republican present in support of the measure.

The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, would amend the National Voter Registration Act so that states would be required to obtain proof of citizenship in person from people who are registering to vote.

It would also require states to establish a program to remove undocumented immigrants from existing voter rolls and would allow American citizens to sue election officials that don’t follow proof of citizenship requirements.

Election officials and voting rights advocates have warned that the SAVE Act would disenfranchise eligible voters who don’t have easy access to identification documents.

It is already illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections and the practice occurs rarely. Federal law requires that voters registering to vote swear under penalty of perjury that they are citizens and eligible to vote. And registering to vote and casting a ballot leaves a paper trail that elected officials are required by law to routinely review.  Courts have blocked states from adding documentary proof-of-citizenship requirements for voters in federal races.

Trump and his GOP allies have zeroed in on the threat of noncitizens voting in elections as part of their broader unfounded claims of election fraud. Trump signed an executive order last month to require people to prove their citizenship when they register to vote. Democrats and voting rights groups have challenged the order in court.

The fate of the House’s bill is uncertain in the Senate, where Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, unveiled a companion bill earlier this year. With a 53-47 majority, Senate Republicans would need Democratic support to overcome the 60-vote threshold to advance the bill to a final vote and ultimately send it to Trump to sign into law. Lee’s bill currently has 20 co-sponsors, all of whom are Republican.