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March 9, 2026
Can you prove you're a citizen? A new bill moving through Congress would require a passport or birth certificate just to register to vote, and millions of eligible Americans may not have one. Here's what teachers and students need to know.
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Think about the documents in your house right now. Do you know where your birth certificate is? Your passport? Could you find either one by tomorrow morning if your right to vote depended on it?
This is not a hypothetical. It is the exact question at the center of a major congressional debate. The SAVE America Act would require every American to show documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. Supporters say it protects election integrity. Critics say it would block millions of legal citizens from the ballot box.
In this lesson, students will explore what the bill actually does, the people it affects, and what it would mean for American democracy heading into the 2026 midterms.
Below, ABC News legal contributor James Sample breaks down what the SAVE America Act would require, why it faces an uphill battle in the Senate, and why he calls its potential impact an "upheaval of historic proportions."
Before you watch: What do you already know about how voter registration works in the United States? As you watch, jot down one question the video raises for you.
The SAVE America Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Feb. 11, by a vote of 218 to 213. Every Republican voted yes; only one Democrat, Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas, joined them.
The bill would require Americans to present a passport or birth certificate in person at an elections office to register to vote in federal elections. It would also require states to remove noncitizens from existing voter rolls.
Supporters argue it strengthens public confidence in elections. A 2024 Pew Research survey found 69 percent of Democrats and 95 percent of Republicans favor requiring government-issued ID to vote.
The Constitution already prohibits noncitizens from voting, and study after study shows it happens in only "single digits per election year." A federal court in Kansas found that a similar state law blocked more than 31,000 eligible citizens from registering while only 39 noncitizens had improperly registered over 13 years, roughly 800 citizens blocked for every one noncitizen (Fish v. Schwab, formerly Fish v. Kobach).
According to the Brennan Center, roughly 21 million voting-age Americans, about 1 in 10, lack ready access to a passport or birth certificate. There are deep historical reasons for this gap: During legal segregation, many Black Americans were denied hospital access at birth and never received birth certificates, and replacement documents can cost $50 or more today.
The bill heads to the Senate, where the filibuster requires 60 votes to overcome, and some Republicans, including Sen. Lisa Murkowski {R-Alaska), have not committed to supporting it. If Majority Leader John Thune invokes the "nuclear option" to eliminate the filibuster, the bill could pass in time to reshape the 2026 midterms, with states given very little time to adapt. Legal challenges from states and individual voters would almost certainly follow.
This would be the first time in U.S. history that Congress passed a law restricting access to voting rather than expanding it.
Before we wrap up, answer this in two or three sentences:
The SAVE America Act is meant to protect elections. Based on what you learned today, do you think the benefits outweigh the costs, or do the costs outweigh the benefits? What is the one piece of evidence that most shapes your answer?
Explore our election resources to engage your students in learning about the election process and its significance at every level. Discover lessons on election fundamentals, laws, security, current events, youth involvement, and historic U.S. elections.
