Save Democracy Act
Latest action. Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
Save Democracy Act
This bill addresses issues involving voter registration, casting of ballots, and tabulation of ballots in federal elections.
Specifically, regarding voter registration for federal elections, the bill
prohibits the use of automatic voter registration systems,
requires individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote,
requires individuals to provide their full Social Security number on their voter registration application, and
requires courts to notify state election officials when an individual is recused from jury duty because the individual is not a U.S. citizen.
Next, regarding the casting of ballots in federal elections, the bill
requires individuals to provide proof of identification for absentee and in-person voting,
prohibits states from mailing unrequested absentee ballots,
prohibits the use of a drop box for collecting voted absentee ballots unless it is located inside of a building that serves as an office for the election official,
restricts the delivery of ballots by third parties (i.e., prohibits ballot harvesting),
requires that absentee ballots be received before the polls close on election day, and
requires states to use Social Security numbers to verify the identification of each individual who casts a ballot.
Finally, regarding the tabulation of ballots in federal elections, the bill
requires states to permit poll watching by at least two campaign representatives per campaign,
requires continuous counting of ballots after the closure of polling places on election day, and
requires an audit of voting systems.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in Senate" stage on February 25, 2021. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on February 25, 2021: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the Senate
- Passage by the House
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 117th Congress (2021-22), 362 of the 15,242 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 2.4 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
Rick Scott (R-FL) introduced it on February 25, 2021, and 4 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They are 4 Republicans.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on February 25, 2021, 2070 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 2070 days ago, on February 25, 2021.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 117th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2023 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- SenateIn committee, no floor vote yet
- HouseAwaits Senate passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers