Arizona Senator Calls SAVE Act an Attempt to Purge Voters

Gallego says the bill is aimed at suppressing votes and removing mail-in voting ahead of 2024 elections.

Mar. 17, 2026 at 10:51pm

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In an interview on CNN's 'The Lead', Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) criticized the SAVE America Act, saying it is an attempt by Republicans to purge voter rolls and suppress voting, especially for veterans and women. Gallego accused the GOP of rushing the bill through to rig the 2024 elections in their favor.

Why it matters

Voting rights and election integrity are highly contentious issues, with both parties often accusing the other of trying to unfairly influence the outcome of elections. Gallego's comments highlight the partisan divide over measures like the SAVE Act, which Democrats view as voter suppression and Republicans see as necessary election security.

The details

According to Gallego, the SAVE Act would require states to send their voter registration rolls to the Department of Homeland Security, which would then send back a 'purge list' of voters to be removed. Gallego said there is no timeline or process for those purged voters to be reinstated. The bill would also ban mail-in voting, which Gallego said is very popular across the country. Gallego accused Republicans of rushing the bill through just months before early voting starts for the 2024 elections, in an effort to tilt the playing field in their favor.

  • The SAVE Act is being rushed through Congress just 5 months before early voting starts for the 2024 elections.

The players

Ruben Gallego

A Democratic U.S. Senator from Arizona who criticized the SAVE Act as an attempt to purge voters and suppress voting rights.

Eric Schmidt

A Republican U.S. Senator from Missouri who introduced an amendment to the SAVE Act to ban mail-in voting.

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What they’re saying

“Let's be clear this is about suppressing the vote. Not only that, it also says it's going to try to get rid of vote by mail, something that's very popular all across the country.”

— Ruben Gallego, U.S. Senator (D-AZ) (CNN)

“They're going to demand that every state send their voter registration rolls to Homeland Security. They're going to send back a purge list. And there is no requirement for the states to actually set up any way to actually accept these people back.”

— Ruben Gallego, U.S. Senator (D-AZ) (CNN)

What’s next

The SAVE Act still needs to pass both the Senate and House before being signed into law by the President. Its fate remains uncertain as it faces strong opposition from Democrats.

The takeaway

The debate over the SAVE Act highlights the deep partisan divide over voting rights and election integrity. While Republicans argue the bill is necessary to secure elections, Democrats view it as an attempt at voter suppression ahead of the 2024 presidential race.