SAVE America Act

Key Points

• This bill would require anyone registering to vote in a federal election to provide physical proof of U.S. citizenship. Acceptable documents would include a U.S. passport, a birth certificate, or specific government-issued photo IDs that confirm the person was born in the United States.
• States would be prohibited from processing any voter registration application unless the applicant provides this proof of citizenship. For those who register by mail, the bill requires them to show their documents in person to an election official before they are officially registered to vote.
• The policy requires all voters to show a physical photo ID at the polls to cast a ballot. People voting by mail would be required to include a copy of their photo ID both when they ask for an absentee ballot and when they send their completed ballot back to be counted.
• Federal agencies would be required to help states verify the citizenship of people on their voter lists. If a state finds a non-citizen on their records, they must remove that person from the list of eligible voters immediately.
• Government officials could face criminal penalties if they register someone who has not provided the required proof of citizenship. Additionally, the bill allows private citizens to sue if they believe election officials are not following these new registration rules.

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