The SAVE America Act has been the talk of right-wing politics for a number of months now. It promises to secure our elections by validating citizenship at the time of registration and confirming identity at the time of voting. These are great initiatives, and the legislation should be passed when the vote occurs on Wednesday.
Sadly, it is almost certain that it is doomed to die in the Senate, as too many in the GOP simply lack the will to save our country by doing what is necessary to get it over the finish line. We know that Democrats will set aside the silent filibuster the moment they regain power, and yet many Republicans would prefer to politely lose on the issue so they can have a fight about “norms” and “procedure” when the next blue administration comes around.
Thankfully, many red states have moved to advance voter ID laws to protect the integrity of their elections. The sad reality is that, in some states, those laws are not nearly as strict as the average voter might think. Let’s take my home state of Texas, for example:
Texans proudly tout our “robust” voter ID laws. We are told that there are seven forms of “approved” ID that would allow you to cast a ballot. You could use various forms of ID, from a passport to an “Election Identification Certificate,” all of which are legitimate ways to authenticate your identity at the polls and, in combination with a citizenship verification system, would be a significant step toward securing elections in the state. If you read the fine print, however, the door of acceptable forms of identification opens quite widely if you somehow can’t present one of those forms of ID.
Texas permits prospective voters to use a utility bill, bank statement, or paycheck as long as they fill out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration. You can also use an expired ID for up to 4 years (or indefinitely if you’re 70 years old). Is it any wonder that an illegal was just caught voting in Texas?
BREAKING: Non-citizen has been caught voting in the 2024 election in Harris County, Texas.
— Leading Report (@LeadingReport) March 16, 2026
Texas isn’t the only one. Many red states have eerily similar laws. Nearly half of U.S. states require a form of photo ID to vote, but in 11 of those states, individuals can provide alternative forms of ID. Many of those are deep red states at that. Nebraska, South Carolina, South Dakota, Idaho, Louisiana, and Indiana are all included.
Of course, creating a strict national standard would ensure that all elections have much stricter security. The SAVE Act is an avenue to achieve that. On Wednesday, GOP senators who are on the fence about creating that standard will be given an out by allowing the silent filibuster to remain in place in a betrayal of the desires of President Trump and his base.