At a few months away from the midterm elections in the United States, Donald Trump wants to establish a law to ensure his victory. This law aims to secure the elections by adding identity documents during voter registration.
The “Save America Act,” currently debated in the American Senate, could disenfranchise millions of Americans as the midterm elections approach in November 2026. Donald Trump supports his proposed law with examples from his past elections. During his first election in 2017, Trump claimed that fraud was a significant problem. However, a report from the Brennan Center, a rights defense research organization, revealed that most reported voter frauds were due to office errors or poor data practices. The report studied elections very closely and found only 0.0003% to 0.0025% of fraud cases.
What does this law contain? According to the White House website, the “Save America Act” requires voters to provide a document proving their American citizenship, such as a birth certificate or passport, to register on the electoral rolls, and to bring an identity card, such as a driver’s license, when voting. Until now, the system is similar to France, but unlike in France, the United States does not provide a national identity card. People with different names on their birth certificate must provide additional documents like a marriage certificate to confirm the name change.
A law that would deprive millions of Americans of their right to vote. The Brennan Center reacts to this proposed law: “More than 21 million American citizens of voting age do not have easy access to these documents.” For example, half of Americans do not have a passport, according to the organization. The new law would therefore prevent millions of Americans from exercising their right.
According to Rick Hassen, a professor of electoral law at the University of California, Los Angeles, the most affected people would be “women, transgender people, and low-income individuals who cannot afford a passport and do not travel.”
The Brennan Center cites the example of married women whose new name is not on their birth certificate: they would need to obtain a marriage certificate. Latitia Harmon, research director at Florida Rising, expressed concerns. She was married and divorced: “The problem is that I do not know which name appears on the Florida electoral lists. If it does not match my driver’s license, I would need to request my divorce judgement from the state of Washington. A costly and time-consuming process.”
