H.R. 7296: SAVE America Act

H.R. 7296 would change two big parts of federal voting at once: registration and identification at the ballot box.

To register for a federal election, you'd have to provide documentary proof that you're a U.S. citizen. The bill lists documents that could work, including a U.S. passport, some IDs that show citizenship or place of birth, or a government photo ID paired with records like a certified birth certificate, naturalization certificate, or Consular Report of Birth Abroad.

If you use the national mail voter registration form, you still would not be registered unless you present that proof in person by your state's deadline, or at the polls in states that allow same-day registration. The bill also says states must provide reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities when they present proof.

H.R. 7296 also creates a federal photo-ID rule for voting itself. For in-person voting, you'd have to show a physical, non-digital photo ID. For absentee voting, you'd have to include a copy of an eligible ID both when requesting the ballot and when sending the completed ballot back.

On the administration side, states would have 30 days to set up programs to check citizenship using federal or state databases, while federal agencies would have to respond to verification requests within 24 hours at no charge. The Election Assistance Commission would have only 10 days to send implementation guidance to states.

The bill also raises legal stakes for officials. It expands lawsuits against election officials who register applicants without the required proof, and it creates criminal penalties for executive branch employees who provide material assistance to non-citizens seeking to register or vote, or who register someone without the required documents.

The bill argues these changes are needed to ensure that only citizens vote in federal elections. It also says people can still cast a provisional ballot if their citizenship is verified later.