Have you ever wondered why some lawmakers don’t want to check if voters are actually U.S. citizens? In a recent vote that has many conservatives concerned, Nevada Congresswoman Susie Lee voted against the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, a bill designed to protect the integrity of our elections.
What Is The SAVE Act?
The SAVE Act would do two simple things that most Americans agree with: require proof of citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections and give states the tools they need to remove non-citizens from voter rolls.
The bill, introduced by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), would amend the National Voter Registration Act, setting requirements for states to verify U.S. citizenship. It outlines acceptable documentation for proving citizenship and establishes federal penalties for intentionally registering non-citizens.
“Voting is both a sacred right and responsibility of American citizenship,” said Senator Lee when introducing the bill. It’s a simple idea that resonates with most Americans – the right to vote in our elections belongs only to U.S. citizens.
Why Susie Lee Opposed It
Instead of supporting these common-sense protections, Rep. Susie Lee voted against the SAVE Act. In a statement explaining her vote, Lee claimed:
“I’ve repeatedly supported legislation to prevent noncitizens from voting. The SAVE Act is not that.”
She argues the bill would make it harder for legitimate citizens to vote.
The SAVE Act is another attack on women’s rights and American’s constitutional right to vote.
Under the guise of protecting elections, it will prohibit Americans who’ve changed their names, like married women, from using their birth certificates as proof of citizenship when…
— Congresswoman Susie Lee (@RepSusieLee) April 10, 2025
Lee specifically claimed the SAVE Act:
“would gut mail and online voter registration for Americans and put millions of U.S. citizens at risk of having their names erroneously removed from state voter rolls.”
She also suggested the bill would prevent married women who changed their names from using birth certificates as proof of citizenship.
What’s Really Going On?
For conservatives who believe in limited but effective government, election integrity is a cornerstone issue. When only citizens vote, it ensures Americans alone decide who represents them. That’s why the SAVE Act is so important.
What Lee didn’t mention is that non-citizen voting is already illegal under federal law and can lead to felony charges and deportation. The SAVE Act simply gives states the tools to enforce existing law.
The claims about disenfranchising married women also don’t tell the whole story. Rep. Laurel Lee, a Florida Republican, pointed out that the bill specifically:
“accommodates people who do not have documentation to reflect their name change because it directs states to create a process for them to register to vote irrespective of those discrepancies.”
Why This Matters to Conservatives
A country that can’t or won’t ensure only citizens vote in its elections isn’t truly self-governing. It’s as simple as that. And yet, while a Brennan Center nationwide study found only about 30 incidents of suspected non-citizen voting in the 2016 election, the lack of verification makes it impossible to know the true extent of the problem.
For lovers of limited government, this is exactly the kind of reasonable role government should play – establishing clear rules that protect the integrity of our democratic process without overreaching.
Looking Ahead
The SAVE Act passed the House recently with all Republicans and four Democrats voting in favor. It now heads to the Senate, where its fate remains uncertain.
If you care about election integrity, here are a few things you can do:
- Contact your senators and tell them you support the SAVE Act.
- Ask your local election officials what steps they take to verify citizenship of registered voters.
- Share information about the SAVE Act with friends and family who care about secure elections.
- Talk to people about why citizen-only voting matters for our democratic system.
In a time of deep division in our country, one thing most Americans still agree on is that our elections should be decided by American citizens. The SAVE Act is a reasonable step toward ensuring that basic principle is upheld.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
