Rep. Lauren Carson is urging Rhode Islanders to take an online survey by the League of Women Voters measuring how many voters in the state could be affected if the federal SAVE Act became law.
The bill would require documentary proof of citizenship — for most people a passport or birth certificate — to register to vote in federal elections, along with specific state-issued photo ID to cast a ballot. Research by the Brennan Center and others has found that more than 21 million U.S. citizens of voting age do not have ready access to those documents.
“There are millions of Americans who don’t have a passport, and likely many millions who would have trouble tracking down their birth certificate,” said Carson, a Newport Democrat. She said participating in the survey would help the league show how broadly the bill could affect voting rights.
The Newport County League of Women Voters is collecting the responses for a statewide count, and the state and national organizations have issued action alerts on the bill.
The legislation has moved repeatedly through the House without clearing the Senate. The House passed a version in February 2026, and the Senate rejected it in June as an amendment during debate on an immigration funding package. Republicans have since attached its provisions to several other bills, and the Senate left for its August recess without acting, with the measure expected to come up again after lawmakers return in September.
Take the survey here.
