Americans want voter integrity. Why don't Democrats? | Opinion

I am loath to give credit to my friends in the Democratic Party for much, but I will say this about them: They know how and when to circle the wagons to get things done in Congress.

I hate this when it's done in practice, like when Senate Democrats passed the Affordable Care Actin 2009 with just 60 votes and no Republican support. Senate Republicans were able to narrowly pass the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in 2025 with Vice President JD Vance casting a tiebreaking vote. Republicans in Congress must learn from that success and also rip a page from the Democratic playbook and forge ahead with chutzpah to get one more bill passed.

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections, passed the U.S. House with some bipartisan support and should be brought to the Senate floor.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, said Feb. 3 that he was open to pushing Democrats who oppose the bill toward the "standing filibuster," a seldom-used interpretation of the rules to require that senators actively hold the floor with continuous debate to delay or block a vote. As of this writing, Thune hasn't yet decided if he will do that.

Republicans need 60 votes, which they might not have, to invoke cloture and end debate. Republicans should allow Democrats to exhaust themselves with the filibuster, and when it ends, whip up enough votes to pass the SAVE Act.

Americans support election integrity

It looks like Senate Republicans and Democrats are stonewalling a bill the majority of Americans support, for different reasons. Republicans support the bill, but are balking because they are short of the votes. Thankfully, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, cosponsored the bill and seems to think Republicans are close "to forcing Democrats to filibuster 24/7 on the Senate floor."

Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, wrote a strong letter to Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, asking his committee to "stop stalling" and push the SAVE Act to the Senate floor. I think this advice is wise, in part because Americans already support key elements of the bill and in part because it forces Democrats to explain why they wouldn't support something most Americans already do.

According to the Pew Research Center's 2025 survey, an incredible 83% of Americans favor requiring all voters to show a government-issued photo ID.

A 2024 Gallup poll showed that 83% supported requiring people who are registering to vote for the first time to provide proof of citizenship.

If Republicans won't bring the SAVE Act to the Senate floor, they should reconsider why they are lawmakers in the first place and their constituents should not hesitate to vote them out of office during their next election.

What's the point of having power in Congress if Republicans don't use it to pass legislation that the American people overwhelmingly support? They need more strategy and grit.

Why don't Democrats want tighter election security?

Americans must present a valid photo ID to travel on an airplane or even to purchase alcohol. This should be a base requirement for election security. In fact, I can't understand why Democrats wouldn't support this − especially given its popularity among the electorate. Yet Senate Democrats have vocally opposed the SAVE Act despite the fact that Americans support key elements of the bill.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, hates the SAVE Act so much that he called it "Jim Crow 2.0."

The Brennan Center for Justice has said that the bill would "undermine Americans’ freedom to vote," noting: "Roughly half of Americans don’t even have a passport. Millions lack access to a paper copy of their birth certificate."

Critics of the bill say it would curb access to voting for millions of Americans who lack proper identification, but I don't see how the requirements in the SAVE Act are in any way unreasonable.

I do want every American citizen to be able to vote, but proof of citizenship should be a bare minimum requirement. The fact that Democrats are adamantly against this and Republicans are not raises red flags about why. Are Democrats afraid they would lose potential voters?

Republicans must pass the SAVE Act to strengthen the law that permits only U.S. citizens to vote in federal elections. Requiring voter ID and proof of citizenship ensures that our federal elections are decided by U.S. citizens.

Republicans should tear a page from Democrats' playbook, circle the wagons and do what Democrats would do if they were in power: Bring the bill to the floor and let the other side filibuster it to exhaustion and force them to explain why they are against something most Americans support.

If Republicans can't do this, they shouldn't be in power.

Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist with USA TODAY. She lives in Texas with her four kids. Sign up for her newsletter, The Right Track, and get it delivered to your inbox.