{"id":15876,"date":"2026-07-24T16:40:29","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T11:40:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=15876"},"modified":"2026-07-24T16:40:29","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T11:40:29","slug":"trump-backed-save-act-is-newest-effort-to-collect-private-voter-information","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=15876","title":{"rendered":"Trump-backed SAVE Act is newest effort to collect private voter information"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" data-testid=\"prism-article-body\">\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao MvWXB TjIXL aGjvy ebVHC \">The Trump-backed Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, or the<!-- -->\u00a0<a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.com\/Politics\/save-america-act-requiring-voter-id-proof-citizenship\/story?id=130006795\" dir=\"ltr\">SAVE America Act<\/a>, as Republicans refer to it, is the administration&#8217;s most recent effort to collect personal voter information, this time with a legal backing that could be more solid than previous attempts, an election rights lawyer told ABC News.<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The GOP&#8217;s<!-- -->\u00a0<a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fabcnews.com%2FPolitics%2Fsave-america-act-requiring-voter-id-proof-citizenship%2Fstory%3Fid%3D130006795&amp;data=05%7C02%7CNathan.M.Lee2%40abc.com%7C3d1b13a9a6ae4c0542ed08dee8f1eca6%7C56b731a8a2ac4c32bf6b616810e913c6%7C1%7C0%7C639204322904557666%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=n9bF12mIlwnisAINcSXwQLJqPXbQAqgaK5oGgRN9bmg%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" dir=\"ltr\"><u class=\" \">signature piece of election reform<\/u><\/a>, which requires voter ID at the ballot box and proof of citizenship to register, follows more than a year of continued efforts by the Trump administration to consolidate sensitive state voter data into federal hands.<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The bill would<!-- -->\u00a0<a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.congress.gov%2Fbill%2F119th-congress%2Fhouse-bill%2F7296&amp;data=05%7C02%7CNathan.M.Lee2%40abc.com%7C3d1b13a9a6ae4c0542ed08dee8f1eca6%7C56b731a8a2ac4c32bf6b616810e913c6%7C1%7C0%7C639204322904592094%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=OXi%2FdAMhvuP%2F1gSD6EEhx21yZmuzViVsE2Z8ET%2BaUwI%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" dir=\"ltr\"><u class=\" \">mandate that states pull private information<\/u><\/a>\u00a0<!-- -->from the Social Security Administration, state identification cards and &#8220;other sources&#8221; that confirm citizenship status in an effort to root out potential non-citizen voters across the country, the bill text reads.<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">After the bill passed the House, the president has maintained the SAVE America Act<!-- -->\u00a0<a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fabcnews.com%2FPolitics%2Ffact-check-trump-save-america-act-amid-push%2Fstory%3Fid%3D130505183&amp;data=05%7C02%7CNathan.M.Lee2%40abc.com%7C3d1b13a9a6ae4c0542ed08dee8f1eca6%7C56b731a8a2ac4c32bf6b616810e913c6%7C1%7C0%7C639204322904614500%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=TmTDXf1NWOJa6N4TyXPzSyqPCx0RINskgDWswBULels%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" dir=\"ltr\"><u class=\" \">must be passed through the Senate<\/u><\/a>, going as far as refusing to sign the bipartisan housing bill passed by Congress until the SAVE Act was passed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;It&#8217;s like the Senate is a place that you send things when you want them to die. We can&#8217;t do this, and we&#8217;re not going to take this any longer,&#8221; Trump said.<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The effort has seen extensive legal challenges from voting rights groups and pushback from former government workers, arguing the country&#8217;s founders never intended for election power to be consolidated in the executive branch. The founders wrote into the Constitution that states were responsible for administering elections.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;There is only one reason to oppose &#8212; CHEATING!&#8221; Trump wrote on his social media platform.<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"oLzSq QrHMO fnRUo pvsTF EhJPu vPlOC zNYgW OsTsW RMeqy daRVX ISNQ sKyCY eRftA acPPc MENS nFwaT MCnQE mEeeY SmBjI xegrY rPLsU iulOd NIuqO zzscu lzDCc aHUBM IEgzD OjMNy eQqcx SVqKB GQmdz jaoD VWDdR ONJdw vrZxD OnRTz gbbfF roDbV GPGwb oMlSS gfNzt oJhud eXZcf zhVlX \">\n<div>\n<div class=\"InlineImage GpQCA lZur asrEW \" data-testid=\"prism-inline-image\">\n<figure class=\"kzIjN GNmeK pYrtp dSqFO \" data-testid=\"prism-figure\">\n<div class=\"GpQCA lZur \" style=\"padding-bottom:65.66358024691358%\" data-testid=\"prism-ratio-frame\">\n<div class=\"FvQLF iLTd NqeUA UzzHi iWsMV \"><picture data-testid=\"prism-picture\"><source media=\"(max-width: 414px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/b20aebfc-d34a-4506-a437-27662679f263\/vote-nj-2-abc-gmh-260723_1784834280129_hpMain.jpg?w=375, https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/b20aebfc-d34a-4506-a437-27662679f263\/vote-nj-2-abc-gmh-260723_1784834280129_hpMain.jpg?w=750 2x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 415px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/b20aebfc-d34a-4506-a437-27662679f263\/vote-nj-2-abc-gmh-260723_1784834280129_hpMain.jpg?w=750, https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/b20aebfc-d34a-4506-a437-27662679f263\/vote-nj-2-abc-gmh-260723_1784834280129_hpMain.jpg?w=1500 2x\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"hsDdd NDJZt sJeUN IJwXl vBqtr KrDt itslR SjwtZ hakZw HlUVI \" data-testid=\"prism-image\" draggable=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/b20aebfc-d34a-4506-a437-27662679f263\/vote-nj-2-abc-gmh-260723_1784834280129_hpMain.jpg\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption>\n<div class=\"nMMea bNYiy Mjgpa dGwha DDmxa jgKNG RGHCC aBIU PriDW aiQHS lZur \" data-testid=\"prism-caption\">\n<p><span class=\"hsDdd OOSI GpQCA lZur VlFaz \" data-testid=\"prism-truncate\"><span><span class=\"gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ \">People stand in line to vote during early voting in Hudson County, November 2, 2024, in Hoboken, New Jersey.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ YNujN JGtjI aZFDu rkKLh \">Gary Hershorn\/ABC News<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"vPZug ZqdKL xcLAU bunQU uhXXI PjNjV lNbol LBPRq \">What&#8217;s the database?<\/h3>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">A national citizenship registry, or national voter roll, is not a novel idea.<!-- -->\u00a0<a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.elections.ca%2Fcontent.aspx%3Fsection%3Dvot%26dir%3Dreg%2Fdes%26document%3Dindex%26lang%3De&amp;data=05%7C02%7CNathan.M.Lee2%40abc.com%7C3d1b13a9a6ae4c0542ed08dee8f1eca6%7C56b731a8a2ac4c32bf6b616810e913c6%7C1%7C0%7C639204322904633552%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=XMMbzFij9KCLGgAozlF965kslpty2260SO7sdPjWHFg%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" dir=\"ltr\"><u class=\" \">Canada<\/u><\/a>, for example, has required an eligible voter database to be maintained and updated since 1997.<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The U.S. does not have a national registry of voters, instead delegating that power to the states, and would require a law passed by Congress to establish one.<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The administration has instead <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.com\/Politics\/system-dhs-urging-states-assess-voter-rolls-return\/story?id=134863557\" dir=\"ltr\">pieced one together<\/a> using the Department of Homeland Security&#8217;s central SAVE database for immigration enforcement and data gathered from several government agencies like the Internal Revenue Service and Social Security Administration.<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The Department of Justice also requested nearly every state&#8217;s voter registration list, which &#8220;must include&#8221; sensitive information like the voter registrant&#8217;s date of birth, residential address and the last four digits of the registrant&#8217;s Social Security number, according to an <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brennancenter.org\/media\/14806\/download\/2025-12-01-doj-mou-to-colorado.pdf?inline=1\" dir=\"ltr\">internal DOJ memorandum<\/a> of understanding obtained by the Brennan Center for Justice.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">These requests<!-- -->\u00a0<a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.brennancenter.org%2Four-work%2Fresearch-reports%2Ftracker-justice-department-requests-voter-information&amp;data=05%7C02%7CNathan.M.Lee2%40abc.com%7C3d1b13a9a6ae4c0542ed08dee8f1eca6%7C56b731a8a2ac4c32bf6b616810e913c6%7C1%7C0%7C639204322904652371%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=D2VxKqxdiIZdCTwaDVQibu7OUuwN5dUBW8GQDrRNf64%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" dir=\"ltr\"><u class=\" \">resulted in lawsuits<\/u><\/a>\u00a0<!-- -->from 30 states and Washington, D.C., over privacy protection.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The administration has faced a number of losses in court from these efforts, with judges<!-- -->\u00a0<a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fabcnews.com%2FPolitics%2Fjudge-permanently-blocks-trump-eo-requiring-proof-citizenship%2Fstory%3Fid%3D134175354&amp;data=05%7C02%7CNathan.M.Lee2%40abc.com%7C3d1b13a9a6ae4c0542ed08dee8f1eca6%7C56b731a8a2ac4c32bf6b616810e913c6%7C1%7C0%7C639204322904670945%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=uSt9r8pIF5ZcaEoTHaVZIThcYyP9rxeKy7ZjWwHzp3M%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" dir=\"ltr\"><u class=\" \">permanently blocking<\/u><u class=\" \">\u00a0<\/u><\/a>or restricting Trump&#8217;s<!-- -->\u00a0<a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fabcnews.com%2FPolitics%2Fjudge-blocks-part-trumps-proposed-mail-voting-restrictions%2Fstory%3Fid%3D134211153&amp;data=05%7C02%7CNathan.M.Lee2%40abc.com%7C3d1b13a9a6ae4c0542ed08dee8f1eca6%7C56b731a8a2ac4c32bf6b616810e913c6%7C1%7C0%7C639204322904689178%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=CofNyNcfwObnsNglbRR8D8xZH94LjzMcmU2Ho6sFEV4%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" dir=\"ltr\"><u class=\" \">election reform executive orders<\/u><\/a>\u00a0<!-- -->and dismissing 16 of the DOJ&#8217;s attempts to harvest voter information.<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;The Civil Rights Act, National Voting Rights Act, and Help America Vote Act all give the Department of Justice full authority to ensure states comply with federal election laws, which mandate accurate state voter rolls,&#8221; a White House spokesperson told ABC News when asked about the status of these cases.<\/p>\n<div class=\"oLzSq QrHMO fnRUo pvsTF EhJPu vPlOC zNYgW OsTsW RMeqy daRVX ISNQ sKyCY eRftA acPPc MENS nFwaT MCnQE mEeeY SmBjI xegrY rPLsU iulOd NIuqO zzscu lzDCc aHUBM IEgzD OjMNy eQqcx SVqKB GQmdz jaoD VWDdR ONJdw vrZxD OnRTz gbbfF roDbV GPGwb oMlSS gfNzt oJhud eXZcf zhVlX \">\n<div>\n<div class=\"InlineImage GpQCA lZur asrEW \" data-testid=\"prism-inline-image\">\n<figure class=\"kzIjN GNmeK pYrtp dSqFO \" data-testid=\"prism-figure\">\n<div class=\"GpQCA lZur \" style=\"padding-bottom:70.83333333333334%\" data-testid=\"prism-ratio-frame\">\n<div class=\"FvQLF iLTd NqeUA UzzHi iWsMV \"><picture data-testid=\"prism-picture\"><source media=\"(max-width: 414px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/4c32bb32-c92f-4543-895d-370b2fa2aab6\/donald-trump-7-gty-gmh-260716_1784251982404_hpMain.jpg?w=375, https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/4c32bb32-c92f-4543-895d-370b2fa2aab6\/donald-trump-7-gty-gmh-260716_1784251982404_hpMain.jpg?w=750 2x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 415px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/4c32bb32-c92f-4543-895d-370b2fa2aab6\/donald-trump-7-gty-gmh-260716_1784251982404_hpMain.jpg?w=750, https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/4c32bb32-c92f-4543-895d-370b2fa2aab6\/donald-trump-7-gty-gmh-260716_1784251982404_hpMain.jpg?w=1500 2x\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"hsDdd NDJZt sJeUN IJwXl vBqtr KrDt itslR SjwtZ hakZw HlUVI \" data-testid=\"prism-image\" draggable=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/4c32bb32-c92f-4543-895d-370b2fa2aab6\/donald-trump-7-gty-gmh-260716_1784251982404_hpMain.jpg\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption>\n<div class=\"nMMea bNYiy Mjgpa dGwha DDmxa jgKNG RGHCC aBIU PriDW aiQHS lZur \" data-testid=\"prism-caption\">\n<p><span class=\"hsDdd OOSI GpQCA lZur VlFaz \" data-testid=\"prism-truncate\"><span><span class=\"gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ \">President Donald Trump arrives to address the nation from the East Room of the White House in Washington, July 16, 2026.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ YNujN JGtjI aZFDu rkKLh \">Saul Loeb\/AFP via Getty Images<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Kathleen Romig, former senior adviser at the Social Security Administration, worked as the now-defunct Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Homeland Security and other Trump-backed efforts to access voter data took aim at Social Security.<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;Every baby born in this country receives a Social Security number. Every worker authorized to work in this country receives the Social Security number as well,&#8221; Romig said. &#8220;It&#8217;s the closest thing that we have to a national citizenship registry. But it is not that &#8212; it never was that &#8212; it still isn&#8217;t that.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The administration&#8217;s existing dataset, the Department of Homeland Security&#8217;s SAVE database, is<!-- -->\u00a0<a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fabcnews.com%2FPolitics%2Fsystem-dhs-urging-states-assess-voter-rolls-return%2Fstory%3Fid%3D134863557&amp;data=05%7C02%7CNathan.M.Lee2%40abc.com%7C3d1b13a9a6ae4c0542ed08dee8f1eca6%7C56b731a8a2ac4c32bf6b616810e913c6%7C1%7C0%7C639204322904707304%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=3Ytrie4BRHyMLWJbND8eGg1oIGdgg75MpLvPAf8MIa4%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" dir=\"ltr\"><u class=\" \">known to produce faulty reports<\/u><\/a>. Compiling non-similar datasets leaves room for error, Romig said, and citizenship data is often out of date.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;If a person became a naturalized citizen in 2025, for example, SSA (Social Security Administration) probably doesn&#8217;t know about it. The only reason that they would know is if that person went into a Social Security office and updated the status,&#8221; Romig said.<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"vPZug ZqdKL xcLAU bunQU uhXXI PjNjV lNbol LBPRq \">What could it change?<\/h3>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Direct executive action to change election processes is unconstitutional and has proven difficult to remain standing through the courts. Changes from Congress, however, are typically upheld.<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;Article One of the Constitution gives states the primary responsibility to set the time, place and manner of federal elections, but Congress can change any of that through legislation,&#8221; Campaign Legal Center Director of Voting Advocacy Johnathan Diaz said. &#8220;That&#8217;s how we&#8217;ve gotten things like the Voting Rights Act, like the National Voter Registration Act.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Constitutionally, Diaz said the SAVE America Act &#8220;would not have the same legal deficiencies as the Executive Orders,&#8221; describing the legislation as &#8220;a fundamental shift&#8221; in the structure of American elections if it were to be approved.<!-- -->\u00a0<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"oLzSq QrHMO fnRUo pvsTF EhJPu vPlOC zNYgW OsTsW RMeqy daRVX ISNQ sKyCY eRftA acPPc MENS nFwaT MCnQE mEeeY SmBjI xegrY rPLsU iulOd NIuqO zzscu lzDCc aHUBM IEgzD OjMNy eQqcx SVqKB GQmdz jaoD VWDdR ONJdw vrZxD OnRTz gbbfF roDbV GPGwb oMlSS gfNzt oJhud eXZcf zhVlX \">\n<div>\n<div class=\"InlineImage GpQCA lZur asrEW \" data-testid=\"prism-inline-image\">\n<figure class=\"kzIjN GNmeK pYrtp dSqFO \" data-testid=\"prism-figure\">\n<div class=\"GpQCA lZur gIjeL \" data-testid=\"prism-ratio-frame\">\n<div class=\"FvQLF iLTd NqeUA UzzHi iWsMV \"><picture data-testid=\"prism-picture\"><source media=\"(max-width: 414px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/1f6c87c9-7828-4d91-8f4a-81c41048ba4c\/vote-1-ap-gmh-260723_1784834279692_hpMain.jpg?w=375, https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/1f6c87c9-7828-4d91-8f4a-81c41048ba4c\/vote-1-ap-gmh-260723_1784834279692_hpMain.jpg?w=750 2x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 415px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/1f6c87c9-7828-4d91-8f4a-81c41048ba4c\/vote-1-ap-gmh-260723_1784834279692_hpMain.jpg?w=750, https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/1f6c87c9-7828-4d91-8f4a-81c41048ba4c\/vote-1-ap-gmh-260723_1784834279692_hpMain.jpg?w=1500 2x\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"hsDdd NDJZt sJeUN IJwXl vBqtr KrDt itslR SjwtZ hakZw HlUVI \" data-testid=\"prism-image\" draggable=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/1f6c87c9-7828-4d91-8f4a-81c41048ba4c\/vote-1-ap-gmh-260723_1784834279692_hpMain.jpg\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption>\n<div class=\"nMMea bNYiy Mjgpa dGwha DDmxa jgKNG RGHCC aBIU PriDW aiQHS lZur \" data-testid=\"prism-caption\">\n<p><span class=\"hsDdd OOSI GpQCA lZur VlFaz \" data-testid=\"prism-truncate\"><span><span class=\"gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ \">A sign for new voter registration is seen outside a polling location at Pinkerton Academy in Derry, N.H., March 11, 2025.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ YNujN JGtjI aZFDu rkKLh \">Reba Saldanha\/AP<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;If the administration can determine who is American enough to register to vote, who can prove it sufficiently, then they would have a lot of power to shape the electorate,&#8221; Diaz said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The CLC litigated several challenges to election reform from the executive branch. Diaz said these recent efforts, like the language in the SAVE America Act, have played out before.<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;Alabama, Virginia, Texas, Florida, they&#8217;ve all tried to do things like use driver&#8217;s license agency data or, you know, data from other public benefits agencies to verify the citizenship of their voter registrants,&#8221; Diaz said. &#8220;What happens inevitably every single time is they wrongfully flag tens of thousands of usually naturalized citizens as ineligible and remove them from the rolls or threaten them with prosecution, and then get sued by groups like ours.&#8221;<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The states that have successfully compiled a list, Diaz said, have safeguards in place to protect against any discrepancies.<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;The SAVE Act wouldn&#8217;t do any of that. It would mandate that the states use data sources that we know are incomplete or unreliable and require voters to provide paperwork that many people don&#8217;t have in order to register to vote,&#8221; Diaz said.<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Romig, who spent most of her career protecting Americans&#8217; Social Security data, said she now worries about that information slipping through the cracks.<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;It is the keys to the kingdom, to stealing someone&#8217;s identity, your name, your date of birth, your place of birth, your Social Security number, of course, your mother&#8217;s maiden name,&#8221; Romig said.<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC eTIW sUzSN \">When asked for a response to concerns of data security and executive branch powers, a White House spokesperson said Trump is &#8220;committed to ensuring that Americans have full confidence in the administration of elections, and that includes totally accurate and up-to-date voter rolls free of errors and unlawfully registered non-citizen voters.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Trump-backed Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, or the\u00a0SAVE America Act, as Republicans refer to it, is the administration&#8217;s most recent effort to collect personal voter information, this time with a legal backing that could be more solid than previous attempts, an election rights lawyer told ABC News.\u00a0 The GOP&#8217;s\u00a0signature piece of election reform,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15877,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/26bf5670-f728-4c17-8f15-764fbc8896b2\/vote-2-ap-gmh-260723_1784834280574_hpMain_16x9.jpg?w=1600","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15876","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-abc-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15876","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15876"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15876\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/15877"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15876"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15876"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15876"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}