ISTANBUL 

The US House of Representatives on Thursday passed a controversial bill that would require US citizens to show proof of their citizenship in person in order to register for federal elections – a move critics argue could prevent millions of eligible voters from participating.

The bill, called the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, passed in a 220–208 vote, with all House Republicans and four Democrats voting in favor.

The legislation mandates that applicants must present official documentation, such as a passport or birth certificate, to verify their citizenship. Its stated goal is to prevent noncitizens from voting – although that is already both illegal and extremely rare. Moreover, a great many Americans do not have passports and may not have access to their birth certificates. For political reasons, the US does not have national ID cards.

Republican Representative Chip Roy of Texas, who introduced the bill, defended the measure, saying there’s “nothing controversial” about ensuring that only US citizens are allowed to vote.

However, a 2023 report from the Brennan Center for Justice found that over 21 million US citizens lack easy access to documents proving their citizenship, and about 3.8 million have no access at all due to loss, destruction, or theft.

The requirement to provide in-person proof could also impact millions who usually register to vote online or by mail, even if they do have the necessary documents.

Opponents of the bill also warn that it would create complications for people who changed their names, particularly through marriage. Research from the Center for American Progress estimates that 69 million women and 4 million men have last names that differ from those on their birth certificates, potentially causing registration issues.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, criticized the proposal, calling it a “voter suppression bill.”

A few Democrats did back the bill, as a similar version passed the House last year with support from five Democrats, although it stalled in the then-Democrat-controlled Senate.

Republicans for years have made tighter voting requirements a key policy plank, citing claims of voter fraud, much of it debunked.

The vote followed another controversial move in the House earlier in the week where a proposal allowing remote voting for new parents in Congress was rejected.

Democratic Rep. Sara Jacobs of California pointed to both the SAVE Act and the failed remote voting plan as signs that Republicans are making it harder, particularly for women, to participate in democracy.

Republican Rep. Laurel Lee of Florida countered some of the criticism by saying the bill includes measures for those with name discrepancies.

States would be required to create a process that allows individuals to register even if their documents don't match exactly, and she said voters could use multiple forms of ID to meet the requirement.