LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Advocates say the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act would maintain integrity in our elections. But opponents of the bill claim it might disenfranchise millions of voters across the country, including here in Kentucky.

What You Need To Know

  •  The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act would require in-person citizenship proof before voting in a federal election

  •  The U.S. House has passed the bill and it is on its way to the Senate

  •  Advocates claim it ensures election integrity, opponents claim it will disenfranchise millions

  • Kentucky's representatives are divided on the issue

As the SAvE Act heads to the Senate, opponents of the bill express concern for what the bill could do to the millions of voters it’s supposed to protect.

The bill would amend the National Voter Registration Act so states would require proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. 

Democrat Morgan McGarvey was the only Kentucky congressional representative to vote against the bill.

He said the bill could make it much harder for people to across Kentucky to vote.

For example, he said women who have changed their last names after their marriage would have a much harder time registering to vote, but they wouldn’t be the only group affected. 

“It makes it harder for seniors to vote because you have to do it in-person now. It makes it harder for our troops and active military to vote because you have to do it in person. A military ID is not a sufficient form of identification, even if you are serving on a base in the United States military.”

The rest of Kentucky’s representatives have endorsed the bill, with Rep. Andy Barr, R-Lexington, taking to X to post “I voted for the SAVE Act to protect the integrity of our elections. Only American citizens should have a say in America’s future.”

But local leaders with the ACLU said the bill is looking to solve a problem that virtually doesn’t exist.

The ACLU and McGarvey both said local election officials have not had to deal with any sort of election fraud.

Amber Duke, executive director with the ACLU Kentucky, urged voters to call their senators to tell them to vote against the bill.

She also likened the bill to a poll tax because the proof needed to show citizenship often isn’t readily on-hand and can be costly for people who may need to order the necessary proof. 

“Folks who are not able to obtain a birth certificate might need something like a U.S. passport. I think currently it costs $130 in order to obtain a passport. There are simply people who do not have that level of funds to secure the documentation that would be needed in order for them to register to vote.”

The bill now heads to the Senate for a vote.

The Kentucky Attorney General’s office said it received more than 700 complaints during the 2024 General Election cycle. Of the most serious complaints listed, there were nine complaints of felons voting and 11 complaints of a person voting more than once.

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