As the 2026 midterms draw near, the Republican Party has been left scrambling, looking for a way to cushion the blow as President Trump’s approval rating sinks to 37%. This has resulted in a projected loss of 28 congressional seats this November.
Gerrymandering, nationalizing elections, and calling for military presence at the polls are just some of the ways the GOP has tried to better their odds this upcoming November. More recently, President Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress have focused their efforts on the SAVE America Act, hoping to shift the momentum in their favor.
What is the SAVE Act?
Reintroduced in late January, Congressman Chip Roy and Senator Mike Lee launched the SAVE America Act. Based primarily on the failed “SAVE Act,” it is a Republican attempt to “protect the integrity” of our elections. The revised bill would require voters to present photo identification when voting at the polls, a policy some states, such as Indiana and Mississippi, have readily enacted. Additionally, the bill calls for proof of citizenship when registering to vote.
Deeming a birth certificate or passport as an acceptable document has resulted in the legislation being referred to as the “show your papers” act. However, more than 20 million citizens don’t have “proof of citizenship” readily available, effectively barring these American citizens from registering to vote or updating their registration.
Although “protecting our free and fair” elections is the given reason for this legislation, I believe it does more harm than good, disenfranchising millions of Americans nationwide and effectively creating a poll tax for racial minorities and low-income families. In a press release from Congressman Chip Roy, he and his team claimed the Biden-Harris administration allowed millions of undocumented immigrants into the U.S. and gave them “ample opportunities to illegally register to vote in federal elections.”
Is the SAVE Act necessary?
It’s a common claim from the right that undocumented immigrants compromise the integrity of our elections or sway the results in favor of the left at both the federal and state levels. However, looking at the statistics, that’s not the case. The Heritage Foundation, a far-right think tank and a major contributor to the creation of Project 2025, has been tracking cases of voter fraud since the 80s. According to their own numbers, noncitizen voting is extremely rare, with less than 70 recorded instances in the hundreds of millions of ballots cast during that time.
This legislation primarily affects racial minorities, the economically vulnerable, and married women. According to a study from the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement, more than 25% of Black adults do not hold a driver’s license. The same goes for Hispanic adults in the U.S. This is in stark contrast to the 5% of white Americans who don’t have a driver’s license.
Additionally, those with a lower annual income and lower education tend not to have a driver’s license. This bill is a targeted attack and an attempt to strip Americans of their right to vote, only working to perpetuate the issues of systemic racism and classism.
Married women, however, suffer from a very different issue. With most women taking their husband’s last name, their names no longer match their birth certificates. This makes voter registration an even greater obstacle, disenfranchising women as a whole. A demographic that has historically been forced to fight for its rights, and one that is inclined to vote Democrat.
In order to gain a clearer perspective of this proposal, I spoke to Michael Montgomery, a lecturer at Michigan-Dearborn University and a former U.S. diplomat. Whilst discussing who would primarily be affected by this enactment, Mr. Montgomery stated, “Pretty much every group likely to be disenfranchised leans towards the Democrats.”
Mr. Montgomery later referred to the SAVE America Act and voter suppression as a type of ” non-geographic gerrymander.” Allowing the right to manipulate which demographics can retain the ability to vote.
What does the GOP gain from this?
The right knows racial minorities tend to vote blue, and with tensions rising concerning governmental overreach with ICE and an increase in deportations, Republicans have begun to worry about their electoral chances. President Trump has also seemed to realize the imminent danger these midterms bring, recently refusing to sign any legislation until the SAVE America Act is on his desk.
Many see the SAVE America Act as a safety measure, legislation that ensures their vote matters, but they also fail to see the downside. It’s not just a case of “getting the correct documents,” it requires minorities to jump through hoops designed to hold them back.
People don’t see the hidden cost of obtaining updated identification. Low-income families will struggle to meet the significant financial and time commitment. Minimum wage workers would need to spend 4-8 hours working nonstop to even afford a driver’s license. This doesn’t even factor in the cost of obtaining a passport or birth certificate, documents that millions of Americans do not have access to and yet are still required for voter registration.
I believe these barriers set up by republicans are an attempt to turn back the clock. Jim Crow Era policies, such as poll taxes and literacy tests, greatly benefited white candidates and worked to suppress oppositional voices, systematically excluding non-white Americans from the electoral process.
Republicans know they can’t just say they don’t want minorities voting, so pinning the blame on undocumented immigrants—and using the very few instances of noncitizen voting as a fear-mongering tactic—fits much better. I would even argue that the SAVE America Act is an attempt to roll back civil rights as a whole. First, it takes away the voices of racial minorities and low-income families, then slowly and systematically limits their ability to fight back through civic engagement.
Why should I care?
This must sound alarm bells everywhere. One’s skin color should not play a role in human rights. America is a melting pot. Black, brown, white: we’re all American, and an attack on one group is an attack on us all.
Only 14 years ago, we reelected an African American president. Today, it seems as though Republicans want to ensure that never happens again. Protecting our neighbors and fellow Americans isn’t just the right thing to do; it is necessary for our survival as a country. We cannot allow our biases or prejudices to take priority over the well-being of our neighbors.
This is especially true for Gen Z. Gen Z adults tend to lean towards the left in politics, and if the GOP feels confident in systematically suppressing racial minorities and low-income families, I would not be surprised if they attempt to do the same to those who disagree with them. Regardless of their race, economic status, or gender.
It is important that we set a precedent now. Volunteer for civil rights groups, or send a letter to your Senator. No matter who you are, it is imperative that we put up some sort of a fight against this injustice. Just recently, President Trump claimed, “We’ll never lose a race. For 50 years, we won’t lose a race.” If the SAVE America Act passes, we will be forced to move backwards.
A world where our elections represent only the desires of wealthy conservatives, rather than the will of the people, is a world without democracy. Soon, our country will be turning 250 years old. If we want to preserve it for another 250 years, we have to start fighting now.
