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Votes on Elections: to SAVE or to Disenfranchise?

February 10, 2026
Elisa Ma

Elections matter to elected officials, especially when midterms are coming up. Recently, there have been multiple electoral policies on the table, ranging from the upcoming House vote on photo ID requirements, the call by President Donald Trump to nationalize elections, the FBI raid on a Georgian election office, and the Supreme Court’s ruling on California’s new electoral maps. Such government actions, on all levels, will impact how Americans submit their ballots. Here’s a quick recap of everything you need to know.

SAVE Act

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE Act) is a Republican push to require in-person registration (showing photo/document proof) for mail-in voters and photo ID requirements at the ballot box. New requirements would require federal documents, with state IDs being insufficient, which are expected to disenfranchise 21 million eligible voters (citizens) who do not have access to these documents, often due to geographic location or name changes after marriage.

Different iterations of the SAVE Act have previously been passed by the House but blocked by the Senate. The Make Elections Great Again Act is also being floated, which would place more restrictions on mail-in and online voting. Notably, the acts are unfunded mandates to state and local governments, meaning the higher requirements, which would cost resources, aren’t met with higher funding. Non-citizens voting in federal issues also aren’t a major issue, with less than one in five thousand (0.02%) of registrations (and likely fewer who actually vote), per the Department of Homeland Security in 2026.

Trump’s Call to Nationalize Elections

Since 2020, President Trump has repeatedly called for the federal government to take over operating elections, which conflicts with the States and Elections Clause (ArtI.S4.C1.2) of the Constitution.

FBI Raids Georgia Election Office

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has also raided the Fulton County election office after President Trump claimed voter fraud in the state of Georgia contributed to his 2020 loss. Local officials have called this move part of wider voter suppression goals and attempts to militarize elections.

SCOTUS Allows California’s New Voting Map

Most recently, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) did not listen to a case against California’s new voting map, effectively approving it. This comes a month after SCOTUS sided with Texas in its new congressional district map. While both are clear cases of gerrymandering (drawing district lines to favor a party’s interest), California sought voter approval through Proposition 50 before approving the new map, while Texas did not. Other redistricting efforts, if successful, are expected to help 4 Republican-held states and 3 Democratic-held states.