President Trump alleged in a prime-time speech Thursday that the U.S. election system had been compromised. He raised the pressure on the Republican-controlled Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, legislation that would impose strict new voter-eligibility rules and ID requirements nationwide.
Trump, who has falsely claimed the 2020 election that he lost was stolen, says the SAVE America Act would eliminate fraud and has called its passage crucial to Republican success in the midterm elections. Complicating matters, he has insisted on an expanded version of the bill that would ban most mail-in voting and put prohibitions on transgender healthcare and sports participation.
What is the SAVE America Act?
The SAVE America Act would require Americans to show approved voter ID when they go to the polls and documentary proof of citizenship -- in person, to an election official -- when registering to vote in federal elections. It would establish a program to remove noncitizens from voting rolls at any time, including right before Election Day. It also would create new legal liabilities for election officials and take effect immediately upon being signed into law.
What does Trump want?
Trump has pushed a broader version of the legislation that would ban most mail-in voting. He also wants to attach provisions that would bar transgender girls and women from female sports, as well as prohibit surgical procedures and hormone treatments for minors.
What do critics of the proposals say?
Democrats say the legislation, by toughening voting requirements, could discourage millions of legitimate voters if implemented before November. Some Republicans also oppose the SAVE America Act, warning that it would be impossible to implement before the midterms and that it would exert too much federal control over elections that are administered by states.
While broad support exists among Republicans for the bill's core provisions to enforce voter eligibility and ID requirements, a significant number of GOP lawmakers oppose adding a mail-in voting ban, arguing that it could cause hardship for rural voters and others who register and vote by mail.
Why hasn't the Republican-controlled Congress passed the SAVE America Act?
Republicans hold narrow majorities in the House and Senate. The Senate, which requires 60 votes to advance most legislation, has voted five times on different versions of the SAVE America Act or elements of it, but the measures didn't earn enough support to pass. The House has repeatedly passed its own version of the SAVE Act, but those bills stalled in the Senate and none included the mail-in voting ban Trump wants. Republicans in both the Senate and House say they don't think either chamber has the votes to pass such a ban.
How could new restrictions on mail-in voting affect the midterms?
It isn't clear whether a crackdown would benefit Republicans in competitive races. Nationwide, 37% of Democrats reported voting by mail in 2024, compared with 24% of Republicans, according to the Survey of the Performance of American Elections, which drew on responses from 10,200 registered voters. But there is little publicly available data on the partisan breakdown of mail-in ballots in each state.
Which documents would count as proof of citizenship under the bill?
The bill defines documentary proof of citizenship as government records showing a person was born in the U.S. or has been naturalized, such as a U.S. passport, birth certificate or naturalization certificate. A REAL ID won't necessarily suffice -- only those that specifically indicate the applicant is a U.S. citizen. Those are only available in five states: Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont, and Washington, and they cost extra. Applicants could submit other evidence and sign a sworn statement affirming citizenship.
The University of Maryland estimated in 2023 that more than 21 million American citizens don't have ready access to a passport or other documentary evidence of citizenship.
When would voters need to show proof of citizenship to register to vote?
Anyone submitting a new voter-registration application for federal elections would need to provide documentary proof of citizenship in person during registration. Examples include a valid U.S. passport, birth certificate or a naturalization certificate or certificate of citizenship. The requirement would apply regardless of how someone registers, including through a motor-vehicle agency, by mail, or online.
Would current registered voters have to prove citizenship again?
Existing voters would generally not need to resubmit documentation to remain registered. But if a currently registered voter moves after the bill is enacted, he or she would be required to submit a new application and be subject to the new requirements. Absent military voters are exempt from the requirements.
What about people who change their name when they get married or because of other circumstances?
The legislation accounts for situations where a voter's documents might not perfectly align by addressing "discrepancies in documentation." Under the bill, an applicant would need to provide additional documentation to prove their citizenship.
How would the legislation identify and remove noncitizens from voting rolls?
Within 30 days of the law taking effect, states would have to create a program to regularly review their voter lists, cross-referencing federal databases. While all database cross-referencing activity has to be completed 90-days before election day, ineligible voters can be removed at any time, including right before an election, if states have reason to think a registrant isn't a citizen.
How common is noncitizen voting in U.S. elections today?
Evidence suggests noncitizen voting is rare. In Utah, election officials reviewed over two million voters between 2025 and 2026 and found one confirmed noncitizen registration and no instances of voting. Many states use the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements program to check citizenship with few flagged cases.
This explanatory article may be periodically updated.
Write to Anvee Bhutani at anvee.bhutani@wsj.com and Lindsay Wise at lindsay.wise@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
July 17, 2026 12:31 ET (16:31 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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