Florida Approves ‘SAVE Act’ Copycat as Trump Elections Agenda Advances in the States

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — As the federal SAVE Act stalls in Congress, Florida lawmakers approved copycat legislation today. The bill, which now heads to Gov. Ron DeSantis for approval, would make Florida the largest state in the nation to adopt a “proof of citizenship” requirement for those registering to vote.

Samantha Tarazi, Voting Rights Lab Co-Founder and CEO, issued the following statement: 

“The fate of the SAVE Act may be murky in Congress, but states have proven all too willing to pick up the slack with copycat bills of their own.

“That’s exactly what happened in Florida, where lawmakers delivered the top line item of President Trump’s extreme elections agenda.

“Make no mistake, this legislation threatens to block tens of thousands of eligible citizens from registering to vote while eroding public trust during a pivotal election year.”

BACKGROUND: 26 bills are pending in 15 states that would require American citizens to provide proof of citizenship to register to vote. Florida now joins Utah and South Dakota in passing a proof of citizenship to vote bill this year.

Voting Rights Lab is a nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that brings state policy and legislative expertise to the fight for voting rights. We work in partnership with organizations across the country to secure, protect, and defend the voting rights of all Americans. And we track voting laws and legislation in all 50 states at tracker.votingrightslab.org.