In the United States, new plans to change how elections work are causing debate ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
What is being proposed?
Donald Trump and Republican leaders are backing a bill called the SAVE America Act.
The bill would require people to show proof of citizenship, like a passport or birth certificate, before registering to vote. It would also make in person registration the main method and limit voting by mail to only a few cases.
The House of Representatives passed a version of the bill in February 2026. It is now being considered in the Senate.
In the United States, laws are made by a group called Congress, which has two parts: the House of Representatives and the Senate. Members of the House are elected for 2 years and form a larger group of 435 representatives, each speaking for a smaller local area. Senators are elected for 6 years and form a smaller group of 100 members, with 2 from each state. The president serves a 4 year term. Congressional elections take place every 2 years, when all House seats and one third of Senate seats are up for election. Over many decades, the president’s party has often lost seats in Congress during these midterm elections.
Why are people concerned?
Supporters say the law is needed to stop illegal voting.
But critics say it could make voting harder for many people. Researchers estimate that more than 21 million Americans do not have a passport or birth certificate. Around 69 million women may also need extra documents because of name changes after marriage.
Who runs elections?
In the US, elections are mostly run by individual states, not the federal government.
Other developments
Earlier this year, federal authorities took election records from an office in Georgia, which is unusual.
Donald Trump has also suggested that the federal government could step in and take control of elections in some states. State officials are now preparing legal responses if that happens.
The 2026 midterm elections are coming up in November, and control of Congress could change.
Currently Republicans have small majorities in both the House and the Senate. Republicans worry that Democrats might take control of Congress in November’s midterm elections. Mr Trump has said that he believes he will be impeached if Democrats take control.
With Republicans holding small majorities, changes to election rules could influence how people vote and how votes are counted.
Photo Credits: Forbes
