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As the SAVE America Act remains stalled in the United States Senate, Republican-led states are moving ahead with their own versions of the voting restrictions at the center of the federal proposal.
Lawmakers in at least a dozen states have advanced legislation this year requiring residents to provide proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote or stricter photo identification at polling places, according to the Voting Rights Lab, a nonpartisan group tracking election legislation nationwide.
The measures reflect two key provisions of the SAVE America Act, strongly backed by Donald Trump, which would require documentary proof of citizenship to register for federal elections and impose stricter voter ID rules.
Florida advances sweeping bill
The latest push came in Florida, where the Republican-controlled legislature passed a bill Thursday requiring election officials to verify voter citizenship through government databases when residents register or update their voter records.
If officials cannot confirm a voter’s citizenship, the person would be required to provide documentation proving eligibility.
The bill now heads to Ron DeSantis, the state’s Republican governor, who is expected to sign it. Most provisions would take effect in 2027, after the 2026 midterm elections.
The legislation would also tighten the list of acceptable identification for voting by eliminating options such as student IDs, debit or credit cards, public assistance cards and retirement home IDs.
Republican state Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka, the bill’s sponsor in the House, said the changes were intended to align Florida law with the federal SAVE America Act.
“When you show up at the polls for election integrity purposes, we want to make sure that you are who you are,” she said during debate.
Similar proposals advancing in other states
Other Republican-led states are pursuing similar legislation.
Proof-of-citizenship requirements for voter registration have passed legislative chambers in South Dakota and Utah, where the bills now await action from Republican governors.
In Mississippi, lawmakers in both chambers have passed versions of a similar proposal and must reconcile differences before sending it to the governor.
Meanwhile, proposals are still advancing in Iowa and Kansas.
Separate legislation tightening voter ID rules has passed at least one chamber in Arizona, Idaho, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Utah and West Virginia, according to Voting Rights Lab.
Rare voter fraud cited as justification
Republican lawmakers say the proposals are aimed at preventing voter impersonation and noncitizens from casting ballots.
Those forms of fraud are already illegal and widely considered rare.
Election experts and voting rights advocates warn the new rules could make voting harder for some eligible citizens who lack easy access to required documentation.
A study commissioned by the Brennan Center for Justice found that more than 9% of voting-age U.S. citizens do not have proof-of-citizenship documents readily available.
Voting advocates raise concerns
Voting rights groups say stricter ID and citizenship rules could disproportionately affect certain voters.
Jessica Lowe-Minor, president of the League of Women Voters of Florida, warned the Florida legislation could impact large numbers of voters.
“More than a million Florida voters could receive letters from their supervisor of elections informing them that they have 30 days to produce documentary proof of citizenship,” Lowe-Minor said.
Democratic state Sen. LaVon Bracy Davis said the proposal risks disenfranchising voters who lack documentation.
“The right to vote should not depend on whether someone can afford to track down costly documents from decades ago,” she said during debate.
Federal effort faces Senate hurdles
The federal SAVE America Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives last month but has stalled in the Senate.
Republicans hold 53 seats, leaving the measure short of the 60 votes required to overcome a filibuster.
Trump has repeatedly urged Congress to pass the bill and said he will refuse to sign other legislation until it becomes law.
“I’m not doing anything until they get it done,” Trump said in an interview earlier this week.
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