Lafayette Reporter

Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today joined Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and colleagues in introducing the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. Current law makes it illegal for non-citizens to vote in federal elections, but it does not require states to obtain documentary proof of U.S. citizenship before an individual registers to vote. The SAVE Act would amend the National Voter Registration Act to clarify that states must require proof of citizenship when registering individuals to vote in federal elections.

“U.S. citizenship is sacred, and foreign nationals shouldn’t be able to vote in America’s elections. The SAVE Act would ensure that people who aren’t even citizens don’t cancel out Louisianians’ and Americans’ voices at the ballot box,” said Kennedy.

Since the last presidential election, illegal immigrants residing in the U.S. have increased, making it even more necessary to make sure that everyone voting in American elections is a U.S. citizen.

“Illegal immigrants and non-citizens across the nation are being improperly registered to vote, allowing them to cast illegitimate ballots in federal elections. At a time when trust in voting is more important than ever, we must stop foreign election interference and pass the SAVE Act,” said Lee.

Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) introduced the legislation in the House of Representatives.

The SAVE Act would also:

Require states to establish a process to remove non-citizens from existing voter rolls.

Increase federal penalties for individuals who register non-citizens to vote in federal elections.

Establish acceptable ways for individuals to prove their citizenship and require states to establish their own processes of demonstrating citizenship when a person does not have legal documentation.

Sens. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) also cosponsored the legislation.

Full text of the SAVE Act is available here.