State Watch Florida passes voter measure modeled after SAVE Act by Ryan Mancini - 03/13/26 11:16 AM ET by Ryan Mancini - 03/13/26 11:16 AM ET Share ✕ LinkedIn LinkedIn Email Email NOW PLAYING Florida state lawmakers on Thursday passed a voting requirements bill modeled after the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, which has become President Trump’s top legislative priority . House Bill 991 passed the state House by a 77-28 vote, hours after passing in the state Senate. The bill requires Floridians to show proof of citizenship when they register to vote, namely with a birth certificate or a passport. Florida voters are limited to what forms of identification they are allowed to bring to the polls. Driver’s licenses, state ID cards, military ID and licenses to carry concealed weapons are permitted, while retirement center IDs and student IDs will not be accepted. Voters who seek to change their voter registration, party affiliation or their names after getting married would still need to show proof of citizenship. The vote in the state legislature was largely split along party lines. Democrats and voting rights advocates warn the law could cause chaos and limit citizens from voting, The Sun Sentinel reported. Democratic lawmakers also challenge the underlying claim behind the legislation, that noncitizens are voting in significant numbers. “There is no reason for these changes,” state Sen. Tina Polsky (D) told the outlet. “There is no evidence of noncitizens voting.” Democrats also argue that college students could be disenfranchised from voting if they do not have driver’s licenses. Polsky asked if affecting certain communities more than others was “the point of the bill?” The bill’s sponsor, state Sen. Erin Grall (R), cited two criminal cases of noncitizen voting as the reason why the bill is needed. “Some of you know people who have lost the election by a very small vote margin. So what is our tolerance for fraud and lack of integrity?” Grall told the Sentinel. “And yes, we have safe elections in Florida, but they don’t stay safe and secure if we don’t pay attention to the large gaps that exist where we can address additional fraud.” The bill would go into effect Jan. 1, 2027, after the midterm election. Sponsors conceded to push back the timeline after previously requesting the bill take effect on July 1, ahead of Florida’s Aug. 18 primary. Trump wants Congress at the federal level to pass the SAVE America Act, which similarly requires people to show proof of citizenship when registering to vote and showing ID before casting their ballots. The SAVE America Act passed the House in a 218-213 vote in February and has stalled in the Senate. Trump has pressured Senate Republicans to force Democrats to use the talking filibuster to block the bill, which would require them to physically hold the floor. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has argued that there are not enough votes for such a maneuver. Add as preferred source on Google Tags Donald Trump John Thune Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Share ✕ LinkedIn LinkedIn Email Email More State Watch News See All State Watch Honduran man accused of shoving 2 onto NYC subway tracks was deported 4 times: DHS by Mira Wassef and Anthony DiLorenzo 14 minutes ago State Watch  /  14 minutes ago