Written by Rosemary Wallace

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE) has been framed by conservative lawmakers as a necessary measure to prevent non-citizens from voting in U.S. elections.  Conservatives advertise the bill as a way to ensure that only eligible citizens cast ballots. As non-citizen voting increasingly becomes a focal point for conservatives, limitations on available identity documents will make voting significantly more difficult for legitimate American voters, especially for the millions of us living abroad. If the SAVE Act requires proof of citizenship, mail and online registration will be restricted, potentially forcing overseas voters to submit sensitive identity documents or complete in-person verification which could become administratively complex. On February 13th, Trump threatened to bypass Congress and implement voting ID requirements through an executive order before the midterm elections.

Though the threat of election fraud is often highlighted by supporters of stricter voting measures, evidence supporting large-scale non-citizen voting remains extremely limited. Sources commonly cited in political debates and congressional hearings by proponents of stricter voting laws, such as the Heritage Foundation’s election fraud database, document only an insignificant and unrepresentative fraction of cases across multiple elections. The Heritage Foundation has also expanded its influence internationally, promoting MAGA ideologies with nationalist groups in Europe under the movement “Make Europe Great Again,” further strengthening its role in shaping narratives and policy debates around our rights to vote from abroad. 

The SAVE Act awaits Senate approval and presidential signature, and its passage would introduce new voting barriers for many Americans, as around 21.3 million U.S. citizens lack easy access to proof of citizenship documents. Birth certificates, passports, naturalization certificates, or Certificates of Citizenship are often held by family members, lost, or stolen. Beyond disenfranchising millions eligible voters, these measures may have a chilling effect on voter participation. This will impact workers, diplomats, students, and military families overseas who depend on accessible absentee voting systems to exercise their fundamental voting rights. The administrative complexity of obtaining citizenship documents from abroad can be slow and expensive, often requiring coordination with multiple government agencies across international borders. 

With pressure from rural Republicans and Republicans working abroad, major restrictions on voting by mail will unlikely pass the Senate, yet, attempts to impose voting changes through executive actions still have significant consequences on voters abroad. Repeated claims about fraud and attempts to bypass legal and congressional limits increase public distrust and normalize expanded executive power, which sets a negative precedent for political participation. Mail in voting is commonly utilized by those with limited ability to vote in person, including older adults stateside, overseas military personnel and individuals working and living abroad. Despite winning several states where most ballots were submitted by mail, Trump has continued to oppose the practice at a national level. Nevertheless, he has personally voted by mail at least twice, including in a recent Florida special election.

 Voting is already logistically challenging for us Americans abroad, who have never topped 7% voter engagement during an election cycle, and stricter verification requirements will likely increase voter disengagement. Currently, changes in voting regulations are addressing a largely unproven problem and risk creating barriers for millions of Americans, posing especially complex challenges for those of us living abroad. Democrats Abroad believes that voting access should be strengthened, not weakened. Democracy depends on participation, and every vote and voice matters. For Americans overseas, whose participation already depends on UOCAVA absentee voting, policies like the SAVE Act could turn a fundamental right into a privilege. It has become more important than ever to take a stand by staying informed, reaching out to your representatives, and speaking up for fair and accessible voting. Democrats Abroad France has set up a local number for Americans Abroad in France to call their representative at +33 07 55 53 64 46 (details here).We are using this tool to urge our representatives to support fair, accessible voting policies that protect both election integrity and voter participation. Join us in resisting this administration and their efforts to silence our votes by staying informed and volunteering with your local Democrats Abroad chapter. 

Bibliography

Chen, David W. “Florida Democrats Win Special Election in Mar-a-Lago’s District.” The New York Times, March 24, 2026. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/24/us/politics/florida-special-election-emily-gregory.html. 

Le Monde with AFP. “Trump Threatens to Bypass Congress and Order New Voting Laws Ahead of Midterms.” Le Monde, February 14, 2026. https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2026/02/14/trump-threatens-to-bypass-congress-and-order-new-voting-laws-ahead-of-midterms_6750474_4.html. 

Morris, Kevin and Cora Henry. “Millions of Americans Don’t Have Documents Proving Their Citizenship Readily Available.” Brennan Center for Justice, June 11, 2024. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/millions-americans-dont-have-documents-proving-their-citizenship-readily. 

“Nearly 1 in 3 Americans Voted by Mail in 2024.” States United Democracy Center, September 4, 2025. https://statesunited.org/resources/americans-vote-by-mail-2024/. 

Roberts, Hannah. “The Heritage Foundation Goes from Maga to Mega - Make Europe Great Again.” POLITICO, November 10, 2025. https://www.politico.eu/article/the-heritage-foundation-goes-from-maga-to-mega-make-europe-great-again-donald-trump-us-influence/. 

“Search Report and Surveys.” Federal Voting Assistance Program. Accessed April 3, 2026. https://www.fvap.gov/info/reports-surveys/search-reports-surveys.

“The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act Overview.” Federal Voting Assistance Program. Accessed April 3, 2026. https://www.fvap.gov/info/laws/uocava.