Almost Every House Democrat Voted Against 'SAVE Act,' Requiring Proof Of Citizenship To Vote In Federal Elections

Migrants wait to be processed by Border Patrol agents in Eagle Pass, Texas.

Democrats previously alleged that foreign influence in the 2016 election was to blame for Donald Trump being elected as president. However, 198 House Democrats voted against a bill on Wednesday that would have required proof of citizenship in order to register to vote, preventing foreign nationals from voting in U.S. federal elections.

“Five Democrats joined with 216 Republicans to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which also pushes states to remove non-citizens from voter rolls, sending the bill to the Senate. Another 198 Democrats voted against the legislation. Four other Republicans and 10 Democrats did not vote,” Daily Wire reported.

The five Democrats who joined the GOP were Representatives Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), Vicente Gonzalez Jr. (D-Texas), Don Davis (D-N.C.), Jared Golden (D-Maine), and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash).

Additionally, four Republicans and 10 Democrats chose not to take part in the vote.

The S.A.V.E. Act, proposed by Republicans, would demand documented verification of citizenship as a prerequisite for voter registration, amending the 1993 National Voter Registration Act. Through state motor vehicle agencies, applicants for driver’s licenses can register to vote under a 1993 law. There is reportedly no enforcement mechanism in place, even though registrants are required to attest to their citizenship status by checking a box under threat of perjury.

Meanwhile, Democrats argue that since voting by non-citizens is already prohibited, the law is worthless. As Axios reported earlier this week, House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) urged Democrats to “VOTE NO” on the bill. This was the same message that Democrats used during Wednesday’s floor discussion.

“It is against the law for noncitizens to register to vote and to vote in federal elections,” Representative Joseph Morelle (D-N.Y.) asserted.

Representative Terri Sewell (D-Ala.) also chimed in and said: “We know that it is already illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections…Under current law, noncitizens would face up to five years in prison for attempting to vote in federal elections and even risk being deported.”

Although the opposing politicians are in fact correct about the law, the only thing preventing non-citizens from voting is a small square box on a voter registration form that individuals must check to confirm that they are telling the truth about their citizenship.

In order to prevent illegal votes from diluting the ballots of American citizens, the current law is seen by many as “essentially ineffective” as it relies on the honor system. Previously, that same honor system allowed 11,198 non-citizens to vote in Pennsylvania, according to the Washington Times.

Democrats further criticized the bill, claiming that it would prohibit U.S. citizens from registering to vote with just their driver’s license.

The Help America Vote Act, or HAVA, is a law used by the states that compares data from their motor vehicle administration database to newly registered voters’ information for federal elections. “An individual can present his driver’s license number or, if he doesn’t have one, the last four digits of his Social Security number,” The Federalist reported.

However, both of those documents are available to foreign nationals. This SSA government document explains how non-citizens can receive social security numbers.

In addition, in the state of California, prospective voters have the option to declare on their voter registration form that they do not have a Social Security number or a driver’s license identification number. Then, those voters are asked to show identification, not evidence of citizenship, using forms of ID that can include a credit card, gym membership, or utility bill.

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