"The Republican-backed legislation is a top priority for President Trump, who has long railed falsely about widespread voting by non-U.S citizens. And while the bill is unlikely to overcome Democratic opposition and the Senate's legislative filibuster, GOP-led states have taken up the cause. Proof-of-citizenship bills are now sitting on governors' desks in Florida, South Dakota and Utah."
"It's already illegal for noncitizens to vote in state and federal elections, and reviews have found noncitizen voting to be vanishingly rare, yet Trump and other Republicans have remained fixated on the issue in recent years."
"Opponents counter that such measures are not worth the risk of disenfranchising some portion of the millions of Americans who say they don't have easy access to documents that prove citizenship, like a valid U.S. passport or certified birth certificate especially in the middle of a critical election year."
The U.S. Senate began consideration of the SAVE America Act, a Republican-backed election overhaul requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration. President Trump has championed this legislation despite false claims about widespread noncitizen voting. While the bill faces Democratic opposition and filibuster challenges at the federal level, GOP-led states have advanced similar measures. Proof-of-citizenship bills are pending in Florida, South Dakota, and Utah, following laws in Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming. Proponents argue such requirements enhance election security, while opponents warn they risk disenfranchising millions of Americans lacking accessible citizenship documents. Noncitizen voting is already illegal and documented as extremely rare. The federal act and some state bills would take effect immediately, potentially disrupting election administration during critical election periods.
#voter-registration-requirements #election-security #citizenship-verification #voting-rights #election-policy
Read at www.npr.org
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]