The House of Representatives passed the SAVE Act on Wednesday. It's a bill that would require proof of citizenship before registering to vote; in other words, voters would have to supply documentation such as a birth certificate, passport or naturalization papers.
- Senator Chuck Grassley said he's a co-sponsor of the companion bill in the Senate.
- Grassley agrees that instances of voter fraud are rare, but believes the bill protects election integrity.
- Groups like The League of Woman voters oppose the bill, arguing that many citizens don't have easy access to the required documents and that it could pose a challenge for married women who have changed their names.
WATCH KATRINA'S STORY BELOW
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Senator Chuck Grassley wants voters to be required to show ID before casting a ballot.
I asked the senator about the SAVE Act. It would require people registering to vote to show a passport, birth certificate or naturalization document. A regular driver's license would not be enough to register under this proposal.
The League of Women Voters opposes the requirements, arguing that it would create a greater burden for military families, married women who changed their names and that many citizens don't have easy access to the required documents.
According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, instances of voter fraud are rare, so I asked Grassley if the bill is necessary.
"Evidence of non-citizen voting, although I will agree with you, it's a very small percentage of the people that vote, but anytime you have a non-citizen voting it dilutes the votes of people that are citizens of this country," Grassley said.
The bill would need some support from Democrats in the Senate to pass and it's not clear that will happen.
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