Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the Republican-backed SAVE America Act would force Americans to register to vote only in person, citing that just 5% of Americans currently register in person. The claim, made as the Senate began debate on the bill March 17, is partially accurate but significantly understates the actual percentage of Americans who register to vote in person.
The SAVE America Act would require documentary proof of citizenship be presented in person to register to vote. The bill specifies that applicants "shall not be registered to vote in an election for federal office unless the applicant presents documentary proof of United States citizenship in person to the office of the appropriate election official" by the registration deadline.
What the Left Is Saying
Democrats and voting rights advocates argue the SAVE America Act would create significant barriers to voter registration. Schumer emphasized that the legislation would erect roadblocks for Americans seeking to register to vote or cast a ballot.
Eliza Sweren-Becker, deputy director for the voting rights and election program at the liberal Brennan Center for Justice, said the in-person requirement would apply not only to new registrants but also to people who don't consider themselves new registrants. Depending on how a state interprets the bill's language, moving to a new county or precinct could trigger the citizenship proof requirement.
Lisa Bryant, a political scientist at California State University-Fresno, said convenient options like online and mail registration would likely disappear if the SAVE Act were passed. "A sizable share of Americans do register online and by mail, sharing their drivers license information for identity verification or showing ID when they vote," Bryant said.
What the Right Is Saying
Republicans, with strong support from former President Donald Trump, have championed the SAVE America Act as an election security measure. The House passed the bill in February following years of Republican concerns about noncitizen voting, though such cases rarely occur.
The bill's supporters argue that requiring documentary proof of citizenship in person is necessary to safeguard the integrity of American elections. The legislation represents what Republicans have called a common-sense measure to ensure only eligible citizens vote.
What the Numbers Show
Federal data from the Election Assistance Commission's most recent Election Administration and Voting Survey, reflecting 2024 election cycle data, provides a more complete picture than Schumer's 5% figure.
The survey tracked at least six ways voters register in person: at election offices (6%); at polling places and voting sites (2.2%); at public assistance offices (1%); at disability services offices (0.1%); at armed forces recruitment offices (0.1%); and at other public facilities like libraries (1.8%). These categories collectively total 11.2%.
An additional 30.7% of voter registrations came from motor vehicle agencies, where federal law allows registration when obtaining driver's licenses. However, it's unclear what share of these occurred in person versus online, as states' policies vary.
Matthew Weil, vice president for governance at the Bipartisan Policy Center, said, "Clearly, more than the 5% or 6% going to elections offices are registering in person." The percentage of in-person voter registrations before the 2024 election was between 11% and 42%, depending on how many motor vehicle agency interactions were in person.
The Bottom Line
Schumer's statement that the SAVE America Act would force Americans to register only in person is accurate regarding the bill's requirement. However, his citation that "only 5% of Americans do today" significantly understates the actual figure. Federal data shows between 11% and 42% of Americans register to vote in person, depending on how motor vehicle agency registrations are classified.
PolitiFact rates this statement Half True — partially accurate but leaving out important details. The Senate continues debate on the SAVE America Act, with voting rights groups warning the legislation could affect millions of voters, including married women and residents who move between counties or precincts.