Senate Republicans are ramping up their push for election integrity by proposing sweeping changes to the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act that would make photo identification mandatory in all federal elections. Senate Majority Leader John Thune announced the overhaul on Wednesday, saying the legislation is aimed at closing glaring loopholes in current election law.
The original version of the SAVE Act, which passed the House in April 2025, primarily required proof of citizenship to register to vote. But Thune noted that it fell short by failing to mandate that voters show photo ID at the ballot box. “That’s being fixed and addressed,” Thune told reporters. “I’m for it. I think most of our colleagues in the Senate are.”
Under the proposed changes, voters nationwide would be required to present government-issued photo identification when casting ballots in federal elections. That would standardize a process that currently varies by state. While 36 states already require some form of ID, 14 rely on verbal confirmation or signature matching, which Republicans say opens the door to fraud and abuse.
The SAVE Act was introduced by Senator Mike Lee and aims to amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. Its key provisions include requiring passports, birth certificates, or military records to register, forcing states to purge non-citizens from voter rolls, and introducing criminal penalties for officials who knowingly register ineligible voters. The addition of a photo ID requirement would further tighten the system.
Supporters of the legislation point to strong public backing. Recent surveys show that 80 percent of Americans support photo ID requirements, including nearly all Republicans and a large majority of Independents. Even 53 percent of Democrats are in favor, and minority voter support reportedly stands at 77 percent.
Opponents argue that the changes could make voting more difficult for citizens who don’t have easy access to documentation. Some also warn that eliminating mail-in registration options could have a chilling effect on participation. But backers of the bill cite research from the National Bureau of Economic Research showing no statistically significant impact on voter turnout under ID laws.
Despite the expected partisan divide in the Senate, Thune believes the public is on his side. “People want to know their vote counts and isn’t being canceled out by someone who shouldn’t be voting,” one senior Republican aide said. The bill’s future in the Senate remains uncertain, but it has already sparked renewed debate over how far the federal government should go in regulating elections.
The post Republicans Push Photo ID Mandate for All Federal Elections appeared first on Real News Now.
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