Trump touts bill that could make voting harder for married women

President Donald Trump is urging lawmakers to pass a voter ID bill that has caught heat in the past for provisions that several voting rights groups warn could lead to voter disenfranchisement, including among married women.

The SAVE America Act, which passed in the GOP-led House of Representatives last year but has since stalled in the Senate, is again at the center of discussions on Capitol Hill after it returned to the House floor. Lawmakers are expected to vote Feb. 11 on the legislation, which would require people provide proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections, and demand voters show a government-issued photo ID that proves their citizenship to cast their ballots.

More: How would the SAVE Act impact US Citizens? What to know

Supporters call the efforts a security measure and say they’re trying to reinforce laws that will bar noncitizens from voting. However, voting rights advocates say it’s exceedingly rare for noncitizens to vote and such anomalies aren’t pervasive enough to to influence election outcomes. These groups, including the Brennan Center for Justice, say the laws could make it more difficult for millions of Americans to cast a ballot, especially younger voters and voters of color.

Millions of women whose married names aren’t on their birth certificates or passports could also face extra hurdles to register to vote and cast their ballots.

Nearly 80% of women in opposite-sex marriages take their spouse’s surname, according to a 2023 study by Pew Research. Most married men – 92% – keep their last names. 

Republican lawmakers in more than two dozen states introduced measures requiring people to prove their citizenship over the past year, which would require people provide documents such as birth certificates or passports when they register to vote, according to the nonpartisan Voting Rights Lab. 

Under current laws, many Americans need to present some form of identification to register to vote. The act would require Americans show additional documents that prove their citizenship, such as a passport or a birth certificate.

According to the Brennan Center for Justice, more than 21 million Americans lack ready access to those documents. Roughly half of Americans don’t have a passport and millions lack access to a paper copy of their birth certificate, the group says.

Another catch is that birth certificates or passports may not be up to date if a person has changed their name. Most commonly, that happens during marriage, and voting rights advocates say problems could arise if an individual’s documents do not reflect those name changes.

The proposed legislation landed in the public spotlight again recently, after the president made controversial remarks during a podcast on Feb. 3, calling for the federal government to “get involved” in overseeing elections.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Trump was referring to passing the SAVE Act in his conversation with host Dan Bongino, the former FBI deputy director. But Trump didn’t mention the SAVE Act when asked about his podcast remarks during an Oval Office event, and has doubled down on his remarks about federal involvement in elections as his administration ramps up efforts to investigate the 2020 contest, which he lost to former President Joe Biden. 

Trump has posted about the legislation on social media in recent days in advance of the vote, repeating his yearslong and unsubstantiated claims that American elections are “rigged,” and asking “all Republicans” to support the act.

This article has been updated to add new information.

Contributing: Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY.

Kathryn Palmer is a politics reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kapalmer@usatoday.com and on X @KathrynPlmr. Sign up for her daily politics newsletter here.