5 things to know about the SAVE America Act

2. Requirements for voting

The SAVE America Act amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require those seeking to vote in federal elections to provide “documentary proof of citizenship.” Examples of “documentary proof of citizenship” include “a form of identification issued consistent with the requirements of the REAL ID Act of 2005 that indicates the applicant is a citizen of the United States” and “a valid United States passport.”

An “official United States military identification card, together with a United States military record of service showing that the applicant’s place of birth was in the United States” as well as a “valid government-issued photo identification card issued by a Federal, State, or Tribal government showing that the applicant’s place of birth was in the United States” also meet the requirements of the SAVE America Act. 

Additional forms of photo identification issued by a federal, state or tribal government are also accepted as long as they are accompanied by a complete birth certificate that includes the full name, date of birth and place of birth of the applicant as well as the name of at least one of the applicant’s parents or a “hospital Record of Birth” showing that the applicant was born in the U.S. or “a final adoption decree showing the applicant’s name and that the applicant’s place of birth was in the United States.” 

Photo identifications that don't explicitly include a documentary proof of citizenship can also be accompanied by a “consular report of birth abroad of a citizen of the United States or a certification of the applicant’s Report of Birth of a United States citizen issued by the Secretary of State” or a naturalization certificate or a certificate of citizenship presented by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security or an American Indian Card issued by the DHS with the classification “KIC.”