Florida Republicans send SAVE Act-style proof-of-citizenship voting bill to DeSantis' desk

Lawmakers in Tallahassee, Florida, in the GOP-dominated state House approved the measure in a 77-28 vote Thursday, hours after the bill passed the Republican-controlled state Senate 27-12. The votes in both houses of the Florida legislature were nearly entirely along party lines.

DeSantis, a supporter of what he calls "the Florida version of the SAVE Act," is expected to sign the measure when it reaches his desk. 

The developments in Florida come as the federal bill faces an uncertain future in Congress.

The federal bill would require strict voter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements across the country. Republicans say the bill is necessary to secure election integrity.

While polls indicate the vast majority of Americans - regardless of the political affiliation - support voter IDs at the polls and preventing noncitizens from voting in federal elections, Democrats argue the bill is not needed, since citizenship already is a requirement to vote and instances of noncitizen voting are rare.

Democrats and voting rights groups also claim that the federal bill would create unnecessary barriers, making it harder for voters to cast a ballot.

Trump, who is intent on holding the Republican congressional majorities in the 2026 midterm elections, said earlier recently that the federal bill should be the top priority in Congress and that if passed, it "will guarantee the midterms" for Republicans.

But the Florida bill's proof of citizenship requirement wouldn't take effect until January, after the November 2024 midterm elections. And the bill also doesn't limit the Sunshine State's allowance for excuse-free mail-in-voting. 

Trump has long railed against mail-in-balloting.

"This bill creates real barriers for everyday Floridians, especially those with the fewest resources," Democratic state Sen. LaVon Bracy Davis of Orlando argued in a social media post. "It will disproportionately impact working families, seniors, and college students who want to exercise their voice and right to vote." 

And Florida Democratic Party Chair, Nikki Fried charged, "In the cover of night, Florida Republicans made it harder for U.S. citizens to vote."

"While Democrats, civic groups, and voters voiced their concerns to stop this harmful policy, Republicans decided citizens' voices didn't matter and voted to disenfranchise hardworking Floridians," she added.

The bill would make Florida the most populous state in the nation to mandate proof-of-citizenship to register to vote.

Arizona and Kansas enacted similar requirements in the past two decades, and Louisiana passed a law two years ago.

Proof-of-citizenship bills passed recently in the South Dakota and Utah legislatures, and are awaiting the governors' signatures.

And in 2024, New Hampshire mandated that all first-time voters show proof of citizenship when registering.