Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) adjourned the chamber early Saturday morning for a month-long recess after confirming Todd Blanche as the country’s 88th attorney general.
He allowed the chamber to recess with less than 90 days to go before what is expected to be hotly contested midterm elections and without passing President Donald Trump’s electing integrity priority: The SAVE America Act.
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But as the Senate under Thune dithered, a growing number of GOP-led states are following Trump’s lead and taking the initiative, the Daily Signal reported.
The federal SAVE America Act would require individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections and present photo identification when casting a ballot in those elections.
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SAVE stands for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act.
The legislation has passed the House of Representatives multiple times but has not advanced in the Senate.
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Beyond the seven states that have recently adopted both proof-of-citizenship and voter identification requirements, Ballotpedia reports that five other states previously enacted laws requiring documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration.
However, implementation of such requirements for federal elections has been shaped by a 2013 U.S. Supreme Court decision, which held that the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) limits states’ ability to require documentary proof of citizenship for applicants using the federal voter registration form.
The NVRA, commonly known as the “Motor Voter Act,” expanded voter registration opportunities through state motor vehicle agencies and other designated government offices.
While Thune has been powerless to persuade enough GOP senators to pass the federal version, his own state has taken action.
South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden signed Senate Bill 175 into law in March, requiring individuals registering to vote to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship.
Under the law, acceptable documentation includes qualifying driver’s licenses or state identification cards, tribal identification cards, U.S. birth certificates, U.S. passports, Consular Reports of Birth Abroad, and certificates of naturalization.
The measure is intended to verify citizenship at the time of voter registration.
In 2026, Kansas enacted the SAVE Kansas Act, which directs the secretary of state to compare the state’s voter registration rolls with the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database to identify and remove individuals who are ineligible to vote.
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Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the legislation, but the Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature voted to override the veto, allowing the measure to become law.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the Florida SAVE Act into law in April. The legislation is scheduled to take effect in 2027.
The law requires state officials to verify the citizenship status of new voter registrations and voter registration updates by comparing them with records maintained by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
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If citizenship cannot be confirmed through those records, election officials may require applicants to provide documentary proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate, U.S. passport, or certificate of naturalization.
The measure also directs election officials to use available state and federal databases to verify citizenship when necessary and establishes procedures for removing individuals from the voter rolls if they are determined to be ineligible under state law.
Mississippi enacted Senate Bill 2588, known as the SHIELD Act, requiring local election officials to compare voter registration information with state driver’s license and identification records and, when necessary, the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database.
Under the law, applicants identified as potential noncitizens may be required to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship before their voter registration can be completed. The legislation took effect on July 1, 2026.
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Other states that have enacted similar laws include Utah, Ohio, and Wyoming, the Daily Signal reported.
It’s not clear that the Senate under Thune will be able to pass the legislation when they return, but in any event, if it were to happen, there would be no time for states to implement the measures this election cycle.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
