House Passes Bill Requiring Proof of Citizenship to Vote

The House on Wednesday passed legislation that would expand proof-of-citizenship requirements to vote in federal elections and impose voter roll purge requirements on states.

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act passed through the House in a 221-198 vote, with five Democrats voting in favor of the Republican bill.

Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) introduced the legislation, and told Breitbart News Daily in June that there is “repeated evidence” of non-citizens voting.

“Let me just say this about the overall state of the election issue,” Roy said. “We’ve got repeated evidence of those who are here illegally — or, or whether they’re here legally — but non-citizens voting.”

Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), a member of the Freedom Caucus, heads to a closed-door meeting of the House Republican Conference at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023. R(J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

If the legislation were to become law, state election officials would not be allowed to register applicants to vote in federal elections unless the applicants prove they have American citizenship.

“Noncitizen voting is a threat to election integrity,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said in a policy brief on the bill.

Rep. Ashley  Hinson (R-IA) said in a statement after the bill passed:

Voting is a sacred right for American citizens, and illegal immigrants should never have the opportunity to vote in our elections. The Biden Administration has allowed millions of illegal immigrants into our country, and we must ensure illegals cannot register to vote and sway our elections. It tells you everything you need to know that the Biden Administration opposes this commonsense effort and wants to maintain loopholes that allow illegal immigrants to vote while keeping our Southern Border wide open. I will continue fighting to preserve election integrity and prevent illegal immigrants from voting.

“Allowing non-citizens to vote in elections is unconscionable and un-American – it incentivizes more illegal immigration, rewards Biden’s open border policies, and, worst of all, it undermines the Constitution and American’s ability to choose their representatives,” Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX) said in a written statement. “American citizens – and only American citizens – have the sacred right to vote in elections in the United States.”

A 2022 YouGov survey found that 65 percent of Americans back requiring proof of citizenship to vote in elections, which included 48 percent of Democrats, 62 percent of swing voters, and 88 percent of Republicans.

The bill goes to the Senate, where Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), the Senate sponsor of the bill, plans to champion it.

Lee wrote, “The SAVE Act has passed the House of Representatives! Congratulations to @chiproytx, who introduced the House version of our bill. Now, Senate Democrats need to join us to pass the SAVE Act, or explain why they think non-Americans should be able to vote in American elections.”

Sean Moran is a policy reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.