Today, Congressman Mike Garcia (CA-27) voted in favor of H.R. 8281, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which passed the House. This bill would better ensure the integrity and security of federal elections by requiring that individuals provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote. 

“Right now, less than half of Americans have confidence in the security of our election process,” said Rep. Garcia. “And nearly 80% of Americans across both political parties are supportive of requiring photo identification to vote.”

“This bill takes common-sense steps to address those legitimate and undeniable concerns. It implements safeguards – such as requiring an individual to provide proof of citizenship in order to register to vote in federal elections – that frankly should already be in place. I urge all my colleagues in the Senate – both Democrats and Republicans – to join this effort to better ensure our elections reflect the will of the American people.”

The SAVE Act will:

• Require state election officials to ask about citizenship before providing voter registration forms;

• Require an individual to provide proof of citizenship in order to register to vote in federal elections;

• Allow state officials to accept a wide variety of documents that will make it easy for citizens to register to vote in federal elections;

• Provide states with access to federal agency databases so they can remove noncitizens from voter rolls and confirm citizenship for individuals lacking proof of citizenship;

• Direct the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to determine whether to conduct removal proceedings if a noncitizen has been identified as having registered to vote in federal elections; and 

• Require DHS to notify a state chief election official whenever an individual has been naturalized to ensure our newest citizens are able to exercise their right to vote.