The SAVE America Act by the Numbers: How Millions of Eligible Voters Could Be Affected

The Voter Participation Center analyzed data from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission on the ways Americans voted and how elections were administered in the 2023-2024 cycle. What we found is that the SAVE America Act would fundamentally change how Americans register to vote by requiring in-person documentary proof of citizenship and restricting widely used registration methods.

Because most voters rely on online, mail, DMV, or automatic registration systems, the legislation could create new barriers for tens of millions of eligible voters across every state regardless of party or geography. Our analysis shows that, if the SAVE America Act were enacted, 83% of voters would not be able to register or update their registration using the same methods they relied on in 2023-2024.

Key takeaways from our analysis include:

• Most voters currently use registration methods that would be restricted. 

83% of voters rely on methods that would be restricted or require changes under the SAVE America Act. In many states, 90–99% of voters registered using methods that would be restricted under the SAVE America Act.

• Passport access is far from universal.

A passport-based documentation system would immediately create barriers for millions of eligible voters.

• Documentation mismatch affects massive numbers of women.

At least 69 million women across states have last names that do not match their birth certificate (due to marriage or hyphenation).

• Vote-by-mail usage is massive.

Any barriers to registration or restrictions to vote-by-mail affect millions of mail voters.