House passes GOP bill to ban noncitizens from voting after Elon Musk suggests its opponents should be executed
The Republican-controlled House of Representatives has passed a measure that mandates proof of citizenship to register to vote — which is already a requirement.
The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act would require a Real ID, passport or other government identification that shows a person’s place of birth was in the United States.
According to the bill, passed on Wednesday, government-issued ID for citizens who were not born in the US would not be enough proof. They also would have to show a birth certificate or similar document to register to vote.
Democratic officials and voting rights groups have warned that, if it were to become law, the bill would prevent eligible citizens from voting.
They’ve argued that the measure has merely been used as a vessel for spreading misinformation about election laws and immigration ahead of 2024 elections.
Elon Musk had even suggested that anyone who voted against the bill should be executed for treason.
“Those who oppose this are traitors. All Caps: TRAITORS,” he wrote on X. “What is the penalty for traitors again?”
On his Truth Social platform, Donald Trump called on Republicans to pass the measure “or go home and cry yourself to sleep.”
Noncitizens are already prohibited from voting in US elections, and making a false claim of citizenship or unlawfully voting in elections could result in removal from the country.
“Even though it’s already illegal, this is happening,” Speaker Mike Johnson said on the House floor on Wednesday.
Even the powerful right-wing legal group behind Project 2025’s plans for upending voting rights in a potential second Trump administration has admitted that voter fraud among noncitizens is exceedingly rare.
The Heritage Foundation found 24 cases