The House of Representatives approved on Tuesday the “Save America Act”, an initiative that requires official identification to vote in federal elections, including presidential elections, and establishes new provisions designed, according to its promoters, to strengthen security and prevent electoral fraud.
The bill, which must still be approved by the Senate, is one of the main initiatives of U.S. President Donald Trump and the Republican Party to prevent what they consider fraudulent practices, which the New York tycoon continues to insist affected the 2020 presidential election.
Bill passed that would require ID to vote in the USA
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U.S. House passes bill to require voter ID https://t.co/26smQC5sgR via @eldebate_com– Carmen De Carlos (@CarmenDeCarlos) February 12, 2026
In the United States, in order to vote, a person is only required to be registered in an electoral registry that depends on each state and, so far, it is not required to present an ID when going to the polls.
The measure passed with 218 votes in favor and 213 against, with Democrat Henry Cuellar of Texas as the only member of his party to vote in favor.
The initiative also requires voters to present a valid photo ID before they can cast their ballot, something that some states already require.
It also imposes new rules for absentee voting, requiring voters to present a copy of a valid ID when mailing in their ballot.
Republicans who hold the majority in the Lower House voted as a bloc in favor of the proposal, which is part of one of Trump’s goals to regulate elections, which under the Constitution are up to the states.
The White House called the bill “sensible” legislation that implements “crucial measures” to protect federal elections from fraud and abuse.
The Trump administration cited a Pew Center poll conducted last August, which found that 83% of U.S. adults favor “requiring all voters” to show a government-issued photo ID to vote.
The bill now passes to the Senate, where it faces a difficult road ahead.
Although the Republicans control 53 seats, the bill needs 60 votes to pass.
In addition, some Republican senators expressed their rejection of the initiative, such as legislators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins.
Voting rights advocates also rejected the proposal.
Gréta Bedekovics, director of Democratic Policy at the Center for American Progress, warned in a statement that the Trump Administration and its supporters in Congress “want to silence American citizens in the streets and at the ballot box.”
According to the center’s figures, more than 140 million Americans do not have passports and more than 69 million married women do not have a birth certificate that matches their legal name, which would make it difficult for them to vote.
Filed under: Identification to vote in the USA
With information from EFE
