Trump-backed 'SAVE Act' threatens voting rights

Proposed legislation aims to impose new voter ID requirements, raising concerns about voter suppression

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A proposed federal bill known as the 'SAVE Act' aims to impose new voter ID requirements, including potentially requiring a passport to vote. This has raised concerns among some voters, like Kim, who worry the new rules could make it more difficult for them to cast their ballots. The legislation is part of a broader push by Trump and his allies to make unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud and restrict voting access.

Why it matters

The SAVE Act is the latest effort by Republicans to enact new voting restrictions, which experts say could disproportionately impact certain groups like women who have changed their names. This comes amid a broader trend of GOP-led states passing laws to make it harder to vote, raising concerns about the health of American democracy.

The details

The SAVE Act, if passed, would impose new voter ID requirements, such as requiring a passport to vote. This could pose challenges for many voters, including married women who have taken their husband's last name. The House recently passed an amended version of the bill that replaces the document requirement with a photo ID provision and directs states to submit voter rolls to the Department of Homeland Security. Eleven states have already agreed to hand over voter data to the federal government.

  • The House recently passed the amended SAVE Act, 218-213.
  • The Supreme Court will hear challenges to Trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship on April 1, 2026.

The players

SAVE Act

Proposed federal legislation that would impose new voter ID requirements, including potentially requiring a passport to vote.

Kim

A voter in Kansas who is concerned about the new voting restrictions and is in the process of obtaining a passport in case it is required to cast her ballot.

Donald Trump

The former president who has made unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud and is pushing for new voting restrictions.

Kris Kobach

The Kansas Attorney General who has supported Trump's claims of voter fraud and pushed for stricter voting laws.

Judge Cynthia Rufe

A federal district judge who cited George Orwell's 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' in a ruling against the Trump administration's attempt to remove exhibits about slavery from a historic site.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“All history was a palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed exactly as often as was necessary. In no case would it have been possible, once the deed was done, to prove that any falsification had taken place.”

— George Orwell, Author (Nineteen Eighty-Four)

What’s next

The Supreme Court will hear challenges to Trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship on April 1, 2026.

The takeaway

The SAVE Act and other GOP-backed voting restrictions represent a concerning trend of efforts to make it harder for certain groups, like women who have changed their names, to exercise their fundamental right to vote. This raises alarms about the health of American democracy and the risk of sliding back towards authoritarianism.