Rasmussen Poll: Majority of Americans Support SAVE Act Requiring Citizenship Proof for Voter Registration

A majority of likely U.S. voters continue to back legislation requiring proof of American citizenship to register for federal elections, according to a new Rasmussen Reports survey released this week.

The national telephone and online survey of 1,156 likely voters, conducted July 23 and July 26-27, 2026, found that 62 percent support the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, including 46 percent who strongly support the measure. Thirty-three percent oppose the bill, with 22 percent strongly opposed. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level. Support levels have remained largely unchanged since a similar Rasmussen survey in May.

The SAVE Act, also referred to in some discussions as the SAVE America Act, would mandate that individuals provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections. The House of Representatives approved the legislation, but it has not advanced through the Senate.

The poll also showed broad agreement on a core principle underlying the bill: 82 percent of respondents said only U.S. citizens should be allowed to vote in American elections, while just 12 percent disagreed.

Support for the SAVE Act varied by party affiliation. Eighty-four percent of Republicans expressed at least some support, compared with 58 percent of unaffiliated voters and 45 percent of Democrats. Among those who voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, 88 percent backed the legislation. A majority of Kamala Harris voters, 53 percent, opposed it.

Rasmussen noted additional demographic patterns. Black voters registered among the highest levels of support for the measure. A majority of voters age 40 and older strongly supported passage. Concerns about non-citizens appearing on voter rolls also surfaced, with more men than women viewing it as at least somewhat likely that non-citizens are illegally registered in their state.

The findings arrive as lawmakers and the Trump administration continue pressing for Senate action on election integrity measures ahead of the midterm elections. Proponents argue the bill closes a vulnerability by ensuring only eligible citizens can register, pointing to instances in which non-citizens have been found on state voter rolls. Critics contend that documentation requirements could create barriers for eligible citizens who lack ready access to certain forms of identification.

Rasmussen’s results align with a pattern of public opinion surveys this year showing majority support for proof-of-citizenship and voter identification requirements. Earlier polls from other firms have recorded even higher overall backing for similar provisions, though exact percentages vary by wording and sample.

The survey was conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC, on behalf of Rasmussen Reports. Full crosstabs and question wording are available through the polling organization’s subscription service. As the Senate remains the primary obstacle to enactment, the persistent majority support documented in the latest Rasmussen data is likely to factor into ongoing legislative negotiations and political messaging surrounding election security.