On the 8th, President Donald Trump called for the passage of the “SAVE (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility) Act,” saying, “The American election was rigged, stolen, and is a laughingstock around the world.”
President Trump introduced the main provisions of the SAVE Act, saying, “We will fix it. If we don’t, we can’t keep this country together. I’m asking every Republican to fight for these things.”
The SAVE Act would strengthen voter identification procedures in all states by requiring voters to present proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote and an ID when voting, while also prohibiting mail-in voting except in exceptional circumstances such as illness, disability, military service, or travel. President Trump called it the “SAVE AMERICA ACT.”
This Republican-led bill passed the House of Representatives last year. While it reflects President Trump’s perception that proxy voting by illegal immigrants has led to election fraud, some argue that it will lower voter turnout among Democratic voters, given that illegal immigrants are not eligible to vote in the first place and many lack proof of citizenship.
Ahead of the midterm elections in November, President Trump recently sparked controversy by advocating for nationalization, transferring election management responsibilities and authority, which are constitutionally under the jurisdiction of each state, to the federal government, saying, “I want to see the elections conducted honestly.”