Supporters of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act argue the bill is needed to ensure noncitizens don't vote in American elections. Studies and state-level audits have found such cases are rare.
One of the biggest changes outlined in the bill is it would require people to register to vote in person. This means people could no longer register through the mail or online.
That would make it difficult for many tribal members, who live on reservations that are far from cities and highways, said Jacqueline De Leon, a staff attorney with the Native American Rights Fund, and a member of the Isleta Pueblo in New Mexico.
"The nearest election offices for many rural Native Americans can be over 100 miles round trip," De Leon said. "And in places like Alaska, it could even require hopping on a flight in order to register."
Voters would also have to show proof of U.S. citizenship, like a passport or birth certificate. De Leon said the bill claims that tribal members could use their Tribal IDs instead, "but Tribal IDs would have to have a place of location of birth on them to qualify. And most, if not all, Tribal IDs don't have that on them."
Notably, the SAVE Act does face long odds in the Senate, where seven Democrats would have to join Republicans to allow it to proceed to a vote.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Colorado and KANW in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
