Texas voters could face new registration rules under the SAVE Act. Here’s how
.JPG "Texas voters can start casting early ballots on Feb. 17, 2026, in primary races across the state.")
A sweeping voting bill backed by President Donald Trump passed in the House earlier this month and awaits a vote in the Senate next week. The bill could change how you register to vote in Texas.
The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or SAVE America Act, adds stricter requirements for proving your citizenship before your vote counts.
Supporters say it’ll strengthen election security, while critics warn it could make registration harder for eligible voters.
Either way, the bill would bring some of the biggest changes to voter qualification rules in years.
Here’s what Texans need to know.
Why is the SAVE Act being pushed now?
The timing of the SAVE Act is closely tied to Trump’s broader push to tighten federal election rules ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Trump has repeatedly argued that the federal government should play a larger role in how elections are run, even though elections are typically administered by state and local officials.
Earlier this month, he called on Republicans to “nationalize the voting,” during a Feb. 2 appearance on the Dan Bongino Show podcast.
He later defended the remarks in comments to CNN, saying that “a state is an agent for the federal government in elections,” and “if they can’t count the votes legally and honestly, someone else should take over.”
That push sets the backdrop for the SAVE Act, which would require every new voter to show documented proof of citizenship before they’re allowed to register.
Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar was the only Democrat to vote for the bill. In a Feb. 11 statement on X, he said his support is rooted in a fundamental principle.
“American citizens should decide American elections,” Cuellar said in the statement. “At the end of the day, election security and voter access go together. When Americans trust the system, our democracy grows stronger. That’s why I voted yes.”
The SAVE Act now awaits a vote in the Senate, where it needs 60 votes to advance.
How would the SAVE Act change the way Texans register to vote?
According to Texas election law, voters must attest that they are U.S. citizens when registering, but they are not required to submit documentary proof of citizenship with their application.
The SAVE Act would change that by requiring documentation up front, before an application can be approved.
Under the bill, applications missing that documentation would be rejected rather than held for follow-up or verification.
According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, about 9% of eligible Americans don’t have proof of citizenship readily available, which could delay or block registration under the proposal.
For Texans who register by mail, the bill would add another step.
Voters would need to appear in person at an election office and show their documents by the registration deadline before they could be officially registered.
Which documents would Texans need to prove citizenship?
The SAVE Act includes a specific list of documents that would qualify as proof of U.S. citizenship. Acceptable documents include:
- A valid U.S. passport, either current or expired
- A certified U.S. birth certificate that meets federal standards
- A Consular Report of Birth Abroad or a Report of Birth of a U.S. citizen
- A certificate of naturalization or certificate of citizenship
- An American Indian Card
- A final adoption decree that shows the person’s name and confirms their place of birth was in the U.S.
- An extract from a U.S. hospital record of birth showing the applicant was born in the United States
If the name on your documents doesn’t match your current legal name, states would be required to offer a way to resolve that discrepancy through additional paperwork or an affidavit.
How common is non-citizen voting in the U.S.?
Experts say noncitizen voting in U.S. elections is extremely uncommon, as noncitizens have long been barred from voting in federal elections.
The Bipartisan Policy Center says investigations have found no evidence that non-citizen voting is widespread or capable of affecting election outcomes.
For instance, in Utah, a recent statewide review of voter registration lists found one instance of a non-citizen registering and no instances of a non-citizen casting a ballot. The Bipartisan Policy Center also reports that just 0.04% of voter verification checks flagged potential noncitizens.
Some election officials have also pointed to errors in federal data matching.
In Travis County, officials reported last October that about 25% of voters flagged by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services as potential noncitizens had already provided proof of citizenship when they registered.
Those findings have fueled an ongoing debate over whether new proof of citizenship requirements are necessary, or whether they risk creating barriers for eligible voters.
