Trump’s SAVE America Act Threatens to Disenfranchise Millions with New Voter ID Rules

As the nation prepares to mark its 250th anniversary, Republican senators are racing to pass the SAVE America Act, a federal voter ID law championed by Donald Trump. Ostensibly designed to protect election integrity, this legislation is poised to disenfranchise millions of eligible voters by imposing strict documentation requirements that echo the discriminatory tactics of the past.

Our nation’s history with voting rights is a long, hard-fought battle. The founders limited voting to white male property owners, excluding women, people of color, and the poor. It took over a century of activism, constitutional amendments, and landmark laws like the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to dismantle barriers such as poll taxes and literacy tests that were used to suppress minority voters.

Fast forward to today, and we see a new strategy emerging. After the Supreme Court’s 2013 decision weakened the Voting Rights Act, states like Texas enacted strict voter ID laws that resulted in hundreds of thousands of voters being removed from the rolls. These laws claim to prevent fraud, yet extensive studies, including those by the Brennan Center, show voter fraud is virtually nonexistent—occurring at a rate of 0.00004%.

The SAVE America Act would federalize voter registration rules, requiring physical documents like passports or birth certificates that millions of Americans simply do not have. Nearly 70 million women lack birth certificates with their legal names, 140 million Americans do not hold passports, and 21 million lack proof of citizenship documents. The law also excludes many forms of ID popular among young voters, such as college IDs and tribal cards.

Beyond disenfranchisement, the bill threatens to undermine the traditional state control of elections. Trump has openly suggested nationalizing elections and even canceling midterms, while the SAVE Act would give the federal government unprecedented oversight over voter data. The White House has not ruled out deploying ICE agents at polling places, further intimidating voters.

Ironically, the 2020 election saw record turnout thanks in large part to mail-in voting and “get out the vote” campaigns—both targeted for elimination by Trump’s proposals.

The SAVE America Act is not about protecting democracy; it is about restricting it. It revives the same tactics that have historically been used to silence marginalized communities and consolidate political power. We cannot let this anti-democratic law pass. The future of free and fair elections depends on defeating it.