What is the SAVE Act and how could it affect married women?

The House narrowly passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act on Thursday, a bill mandating proof of U.S. citizenship for individuals registering to vote or updating their voter registration. Sponsored by Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), the legislation cleared the chamber in a 220-208 vote.

Four Democrats—Reps. Jared Golden (Maine), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Wash.), Henry Cuellar (Texas), and Ed Case (Hawaii)—joined Republicans in supporting the measure

"In order to preserve this republic, we must uphold what it means to be able to vote in a U.S. election," Roy said in a statement. "I am grateful that my colleagues answered the call and passed the SAVE Act, as this serves as a critical first step to ensure that we maintain election integrity throughout our country."

The bill now moves to the Senate, where its prospects remain uncertain, as Republicans lack the supermajority needed to overcome a potential filibuster.

What is the SAVE Act?

The SAVE Act amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) by requiring individuals to present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship in person when registering to vote or updating their registration.

The eligible documents demonstrating proof of citizenship include -

Eligible documents to demonstrate citizenship include:

— A REAL ID-compliant driver’s license indicating the holder’s citizenship.

— A valid U.S. passport.

— A military ID card paired with a service record confirming a U.S. birthplace.

— A government-issued photo ID displaying a U.S. birthplace.

— A government-issued photo ID accompanied by a document, such as a certified birth certificate, verifying a U.S. birthplace.

How could it impact married women?

The SAVE Act could potentially impact married women, especially those who adopted their spouse’s surname after marriage.

According to Forbes, an estimated 69 million women in the U.S. have taken their spouse’s surname and don’t have a birth certificate matching their legal name.

The bill requires proof of citizenship to match current identification, potentially creating hurdles for these women when registering or updating their voter status.

They might need to provide additional documentation—like a marriage certificate—and make multiple trips to obtain it, though the legislation does not explicitly recognize marriage certificates or name-change records as valid proof of citizenship.

“Let’s be real; the SAVE Act is just another unnecessary hoop for women to jump through,” Reshma Saujani, CEO of Moms First, told Forbes.

“Most women I know have changed their last name at some point, especially after getting married, and guess what? That means their birth certificate doesn’t match their ID. So now we’re making women, many of whom are busy moms, dig through file cabinets or pay for paperwork to register to vote? Come on. Moms are already running households, caring for kids, and holding down jobs. We don’t need more red tape. If we actually cared about democracy, we’d be making it easier for women to vote, not harder," she added.

(With inputs from AP)