“SAVE America Act” may block millions of U.S. citizens’ votes
The "SAVE America Act" (H.R. 7296) is a proposed law currently under debate in the U.S. Senate that could block millions of eligible U.S. citizens from voting. The proposed legislation would require voters to show papers to prove U.S. citizenship before voting - documentation that nearly 60% of Michiganders don't have ready access to.
A driver's license, standard REAL ID, or military ID would no longer be enough to vote. Also, do you know where your birth certificate is? Only the certified copy from the Michigan DHHS or county clerk's office (or your state of birth) would work. A hospital certificate of live birth with your baby feet, would not.
In Michigan, over 2.2 million women who got married and changed their name would be required to present additional paperwork to vote to prove their identity.
Nationally, instances of noncitizen voting are extremely rare. A review of Michigan's voter records for the 2024 General Election found ballots cast in error by noncitizens comprised only .00028% of total votes cast in the state. Noncitizen voting is illegal, and cases are referred for investigation and criminal charges.
The legislation would also require states to hand voter rolls, containing personal voter data, to the Department of Homeland Security, and would implement constraints on mail voting that may impact more than 1.8 million voters in Michigan who request a mail ballot every election.
From the March 2026 Democracy Ambassador newsletter, produced by the Michigan Department of State and Michigan Bureau of Elections.
April 20, 2026This entry was posted in General.