Republicans in Congress are pushing legislation that would force states to quickly adopt a flurry of new restrictions around voting, making it harder for many eligible voters to cast ballots and for states to run their elections.
The legislation, known as the SAVE America Act, is backed by President Donald Trump and would require people to prove their U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections. It would also standardize a requirement that voters show a photo ID before casting a ballot in federal elections, among its other provisions. Many Republican lawmakers have rallied around this bill, teeing up a vote on it in the House of Representatives as soon as Wednesday.
State officials across the country say they’re concerned about the barriers the SAVE America Act could present to voters trying to register, a process that many states have tried to simplify.