Jessica Tarlov Says the SAVE Act Is a Proof-of-Citizenship Rule, Not Voter ID
Fox News co-host Jessica Tarlov is pushing back on how Republicans describe the SAVE Act, the bill at the center of this year's fight over voting rules.
Tarlov, the Democratic voice on The Five, argued on X that the bill is not a voter ID law but a proof-of-citizenship requirement that would make voting harder for many eligible Americans. She pointed to the cost of passports, documents that do not always match a person's current name, and a complicated process. The same argument led to a heated exchange with co-host Greg Gutfeld on the show, where she said she was talking about passports, not ID.
The difference she is drawing is real, and it is the heart of the debate. A voter ID law asks people to show identification when they vote. The SAVE Act works at an earlier step: it would require people to show documentary proof of U.S. citizenship, such as a valid passport or a birth certificate, when they register to vote in federal elections. A newer Republican version, the SAVE America Act, would add a photo ID requirement at the polls as well, which is why supporters call it a voter ID bill and why both sides can claim to be describing it accurately.
The scale of the problem is debated. A 2024 University of Maryland study estimated that about 21 million voting-age citizens, nearly 10 percent, cannot readily access documentary proof of citizenship. The Center for American Progress estimates that more than 140 million American citizens do not hold a passport. The Brennan Center has warned that in-person document checks would affect millions of people who now register by mail or online. Critics say married women who changed their last names, young voters without passports and older voters without original birth certificates would be hit hardest.
Republicans reject that argument. The office of the bill's sponsor, Rep. Chip Roy, says the bill would not bar married women from voting, and that people with documents like a passport or a REAL ID showing citizenship can register without extra steps. Supporters also argue that the National Voter Registration Act makes it hard for states to check citizenship at registration, and that a simple document requirement closes that gap. Rep. Kat Cammack's office has said the bill does not disenfranchise women or minorities.
Tarlov suggested Democrats answer with their own bill that accepts a wide range of IDs, adds automatic voter registration, and makes Election Day a national holiday. Those ideas have appeared in past Democratic voting bills that also stalled.
The SAVE Act faces a difficult path in the Senate, where the filibuster means it needs 60 votes and Democrats are largely opposed. Several Republican-led states have moved ahead with their own versions instead, so the fight over proof of citizenship is likely to play out state by state through the midterms and beyond.
Should proof of citizenship be required to register to vote? YES OR NO?
