Byron Donalds wants the Senate to stop sitting on the SAVE Act. The Florida gubernatorial candidate is pressing the chamber to take up the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, which passed the House in April by a 216–208 vote with four Democrats joining Republicans.
The bill would amend the National Voter Registration Act to require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship — a REAL ID, passport, or birth certificate plus photo ID — to register for federal elections. States would have to purge noncitizens from voter rolls using federal databases, stand up verification programs within 30 days, and face criminal penalties for officials who knowingly register noncitizens. It has stalled in the Senate, where the filibuster generally requires 60 votes.
"The Senate doesn't work," Donalds said on Newsmax. "The filibuster is a major hurdle." He argued the bill should at least get a vote: "If Democrat senators want to vote it down, let them be on the record."
Supporters call it common-sense election security. Opponents say tens of millions of eligible Americans lack ready documents — disproportionately married women who changed names, seniors, and rural voters.
What to watch next: whether Senate leadership schedules a vote before the midterms.