U.S. Senator James Lankford is leading Senate Republicans in pushing the SAVE America Act, legislation aimed at requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote and strengthening voter verification requirements nationwide.
Lankford said the proposal is designed to reinforce confidence in elections by ensuring only U.S. citizens are participating in the voting process.
“Listen, we have a very simple, straightforward proposition. It’s called the SAVE America Act,” Lankford said on the Senate floor. “We trust you that you’re an American citizen. How about we just check? So you have to show that you’re an American citizen to be able to register to vote.”
The bill would require states to verify citizenship during voter registration, establish standards for acceptable documentation, and implement processes for individuals who may not have traditional records. It also calls for states to remove non-citizens from voter rolls and creates penalties for knowingly registering non-citizens.
Lankford also pointed to voter ID requirements as a key component, noting Oklahoma already has similar measures in place.
“You have to have ID to be able to vote,” Lankford said. “This can be done and should be done, and it just shouldn’t be that controversial.”
Several Republican senators joined Lankford on the Senate floor in support of the measure, including Marsha Blackburn, Ted Cruz, Steve Daines, Joni Ernst, Bill Hagerty, Rick Scott and Eric Schmitt.
Federal law already prohibits non-citizens from voting in U.S. elections, while the Constitution gives states primary authority over how elections are conducted. The SAVE America Act would add federal requirements for verifying citizenship as part of that process.
You can watch Lankford’s Senate floor speech below.
