Attorney General Ken Paxton has sent a letter to U.S. Senators urging them to approve a measure aimed at blocking noncitizens from registering to vote in federal elections.
H.R. 8281—also referred to as the “Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act”—would require Americans to show proof of citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections. The act was introduced by U.S. Rep. Chip Roy (TX-21) on May 7 and passed the U.S. House of Representatives on July 10 with a final vote of 221 to 198.
As the measure makes its way to the U.S. Senate, Paxton is pressing senators to also pass the legislation.
Currently, federal law prohibits states from requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration while simultaneously barring noncitizens from voting in federal elections.
“Under any circumstances, this federal prohibition against citizenship verification makes little sense, but it is especially troubling given the current scale of the illegal immigration crisis,” reads Paxton’s Monday letter—addressed to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
“Congress needs to correct this statutory defect by allowing states to ensure that votes are being cast legally by eligible voters,” Paxton states. “I am calling on Congress to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (‘SAVE Act’), which would require voters to provide proof of citizenship, thereby preventing the effective disenfranchisement of citizens.”
Additionally, the letter highlights the two-pronged voting system currently permitted by law. As Paxton explains, current law allows states to set up separate elections—one for federal elections where proof of citizenship is not required and one for state elections where proof of citizenship is required.
The attorney general estimates that running separate primaries for each election system would force Texas taxpayers to shoulder a burden of $15 to $18 million of “unnecessary” expenses at the state level, but that number could double costs at the county level.
If the SAVE Act passed, it would permit states to operate a single, secure election system for both state and federal elections. Further, no ease of registration for voting would be sacrificed in the process.
“The House has passed this important piece of legislation, and we urge the Senate to do the same,” Paxton concluded. “The American people deserve elections that are protected with complete, airtight integrity. That means ensuring their ballot—their voice and representation—is not diluted or canceled out by the illegally cast vote of someone who is not even a citizen of this country.”