Sen. Rounds Pushes for SAVE America Act to Reach Senate Floor

Legislation aims to enforce existing laws against noncitizen voting, though such cases are rare.

Mar. 14, 2026 at 10:36pm

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South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds said he is ready for the SAVE America Act to come up for a vote in the Senate. The bill would require voters to present a REAL ID-compliant driver's license, which explicitly indicates U.S. citizenship, in order to vote. Rounds argues this would help enforce existing laws prohibiting noncitizen voting, even though such cases are rare.

Why it matters

The SAVE America Act is part of a broader push by some lawmakers to address concerns about voter fraud, despite studies showing noncitizen voting is extremely uncommon. The legislation could impact voting access, particularly in the five states that currently do not offer the enhanced REAL ID cards.

The details

Under the SAVE America Act's current language, a REAL ID-compliant driver's license would be required to vote. However, only five states currently offer the type of enhanced REAL IDs that explicitly indicate U.S. citizenship. Rounds believes the legislation would provide a tool to enforce existing laws prohibiting noncitizen voting, even though such cases are rare.

  • The SAVE America Act is expected to receive an up or down vote in the Senate this week.

The players

Mike Rounds

A Republican Senator from South Dakota who is pushing for the SAVE America Act to reach the Senate floor.

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What they’re saying

“Our laws already say that. The question is, how do you enforce that? If you have the SAVE Act, then number one, you know that it's already an approved form of ID that we all accept. Second of all, it means that when you go into the election location, that you show your ID, and that means it is you who are voting and that you're the person that you say you are.”

— Mike Rounds, U.S. Senator (Dakota News Now)

What’s next

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