Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, sharply criticized both Democrats and Republicans in Congress on Thursday for refusing to advance the SAVE America Act, following a Reuters report that found more than 30,000 noncitizens have been added to U.S. voter rolls since 2000.
Lee argues that existing safeguards rely too heavily on trust rather than verification, and that the failure to act leaves the integrity of American elections exposed. He warned that the legislation may not survive the current Congress.
Lee Says the Honor System Is Failing
Reuters identified problematic registrations in California, Illinois, Iowa, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Virginia, though the outlet said it could not determine how many of those noncitizens actually cast ballots. Reuters attributed the erroneous registrations to software glitches and clerical errors, suggesting inadvertent bureaucratic failures rather than organized illegal efforts.
Lee was blunt in his assessment. “That thing that they claim never happens, voter fraud or noncitizen voting, just keeps happening over and over and over again,” he said. He also offered a pointed comparison to illustrate how weak current protections are: “It should not be any easier for someone to get away with voter fraud at a polling location on voting day than it is to cheat Olive Garden through its never-ending pasta pass. And yet, that’s exactly where we are today.” Olive Garden requires identification for that program.
You can follow noncitizen voter roll registrations as additional states continue to review their rolls following the Reuters findings.
SAVE Act Stalls Despite House Passage and Trump’s Support
The House has already passed the SAVE America Act, and President Trump supports the measure. But Senate action has stalled. The bill would require registrants to verify citizenship and eligibility at the time of registration, and would mandate voter ID and photo identification at the polls.
The report comes after New Jersey Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill confirmed that her state had registered 6,600 self-identified noncitizens to vote. Democrats have broadly opposed election security legislation, with some arguing that an identification requirement could prevent women who have changed their last names after marriage from participating in elections.
What Comes Next for the Legislation
Lee and others backing the bill have cautioned that if Democrats gain control of either chamber in November, the prospects for any election security measure dim significantly. Analysts have noted that even a fraction of improperly registered noncitizen voters could influence local, state or potentially national races if those individuals cast ballots.
Lee has framed the SAVE America Act as the direct remedy to the registration gaps the Reuters investigation exposed. Whether Senate leadership schedules a vote before the end of the session remains the central question for supporters of the measure.
