“SAVE America Act” passes the House of Representatives
Experts say the bill, called the SAVE America Act, could prevent millions of Americans from voting.
A bill promoted by President Donald Trump that would require individuals to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote has passed Congress, setting off alarm bells among voter rights groups and experts. Among those concerns is that married people who change their last names will have a harder time proving they are eligible to vote.
The Protecting American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE America) passed the Republican-led House of Representatives on February 11, but its future in the Senate is uncertain. An earlier version of the bill failed to gain support in both chambers last year. This latest iteration builds on the 2024 version by adding voter ID provisions and would need 60 votes to pass.
The bill would require proof of citizenship to be submitted “in person” when registering to vote in federal elections and would add an additional requirement for voters to present an approved form of photo identification in order to vote. It also creates new rules for voting by mail, requiring Americans to send a copy of their ID when requesting and submitting a ballot.
Republicans say the bill is needed to protect elections and prevent non-citizens from voting, but the data shows this is rare. Democrats and voting rights groups say the bill would disenfranchise millions of Americans by making it harder to register and vote.
Why married people, young people, and people of color are at risk
If the bill passes in its entirety, millions of married people whose names on their birth certificates or passports don’t match the names on other forms of identification could face additional hurdles to registering and voting, according to the Brennan Center.
Experts also warn that young people and people of color are more likely to face barriers to voting due to the new requirements. A 2024 study led by the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement at the University of Maryland found that Black Americans and Hispanic Americans are disproportionately less likely to have a current driver’s license than white Americans. The analysis also estimates that more than 9% of citizens of voting age (approximately 21 million people) do not have easy access to documents proving their citizenship.
What is the SAVE Act?
Under current law, many Americans must show some form of identification to register to vote. The law would require Americans to present additional documents proving their citizenship, such as a passport or birth certificate.
It is already illegal for noncitizens to vote, and voters must prove citizenship when registering, but states will decide how to enforce the law.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures’ 2025 Report, 36 states have enacted laws that require or require voters to show some form of identification at polling places. The remaining 14 states and Washington, D.C., use other methods to verify voters’ identities, such as signing an affidavit, registering a ballot or providing personal information.
The SAVE Act would strengthen these requirements, requiring Americans to provide documented proof of citizenship when registering to vote and requiring them to present an eligible photo ID, such as a driver’s license, before voting.
A 2025 poll of American adults found widespread support at 83% for requiring people to present a government-issued photo ID when registering to vote, although the question did not specify what type of ID.
The bill sparks a major new fight in the Senate over the Senate’s 60-vote threshold, also known as the “filibuster.” Conservative hardliners have advocated weakening guardrails to fully pass the SAVE America Act.
But without the filibuster (already significantly reduced by Republican lawmakers in notable ways during President Trump’s second term), there would be little incentive for Republicans and Democrats to work together. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) has said publicly multiple times that Senate Republicans don’t have enough votes to further weaken the filibuster.
What are the consequences if a married person changes his name?
Voting rights advocates have expressed concern that the bill could make it more difficult for people whose laws have been renamed to vote. This includes many married women who change their last names, potentially changing their names on citizenship documents such as birth certificates and photo IDs such as driver’s licenses.
Tappan Vickery, vice president of programs and strategy at the nonpartisan voting rights organization HeadCount, said claims that the bill would bar married women from voting are “overblown,” but that it would create new barriers to voter registration.
“Tens of millions of women have legal names that don’t match the name on their birth certificate,” Vickery told USA TODAY. “Under this bill, individuals would be required to present citizenship documents, such as a birth certificate or passport, that match their current legal name in order to register to vote or renew their registration.”
If these don’t match, Vickery said voters may need to obtain additional documents such as marriage licenses, divorce decrees and passports, which can be time-consuming and expensive. That extra effort could increase barriers that reduce participation, especially among people who have changed their names, she said.
According to a 2023 Pew Research study, nearly 80% of women in heterosexual marriages take their spouse’s last name. Most married men (92%) continue to use their last names.
Contributor: Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY.
Kathryn Palmer is USA TODAY’s political reporter. She can be reached at the following address: kapalmer@usatoday.com And to X@Kathryn Purml. Sign up for her daily politics newsletter here.
