
House passes bill targeting noncitizen voting - already illegal in federal elections - in Trump-aligned push
CNN
The House passed a Republican-led bill Thursday to require documentary proof of US citizenship to register to vote in federal elections, despite the fact that it is already illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections.
The House passed a Republican-led bill Thursday to require documentary proof of US citizenship to register to vote in federal elections, despite the fact that it is already illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections. The move is a push by House Republicans that aligns with actions President Donald Trump is taking from the White House. Lawmakers voted 220-208 to send the bill to the Senate for consideration. Four Democrats voted with House Republicans in support of the measure. House Speaker Mike Johnson has touted the legislation, saying that it will safeguard and protect elections. But critics warn that the bill – known as the SAVE Act – threatens to restrict voting access by creating unnecessary hurdles that will make it harder to register to vote and wrongfully disenfranchise legitimate voters. It is already against the law for people who aren’t US citizens to vote in federal elections, and experts say it rarely happens. Now that the bill has passed the House, it would next need to be taken up by the GOP-led Senate where its fate is unclear. The measure would require support from at least some Democrats to pass the chamber. House Republicans passed the SAVE Act during the last session of Congress, but it did not advance in the then-Democratic-controlled Senate.