Messmer Applauds Passage of the SAVE America Act in the House of Representatives

Washington, D.C., February 12, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Mark Messmer (R-IN) issued the following statement in celebration of the passage of the SAVE America Act in the House of Representatives:

“Hoosiers are blessed to live in a State that runs secure and transparent elections. It is high time the federal government finally earns the trust of the American electorate by fixing our system of voting in federal elections,” said Rep. Messmer. “Requiring voters to show identification is not a way of suppressing voter participation, but rather ensures that every American citizen casting their vote will have that vote properly counted. Strengthening voter ID and citizenship verification standards through the SAVE America Act will protect the integrity of future federal elections.”

America’s elections must be secure, and all voters should be American citizens. Despite a ban on non-citizens voting in federal elections, State officials continue to find non-citizens on their voter rolls due to inadequate safeguards and poor guidance from the federal government.

Thirty-six States require voters to show some form of ID in order to cast a ballot. However, that leaves fourteen States with little or no safeguards for verifying who is casting a ballot in federal elections. Despite finding noncitizens and similarly ineligible registrants on voter rolls, fourteen States still refuse to require photo ID for voting. The federal government must step in to safeguard the integrity of federal elections for the American public.

The SAVE America Act would strengthen current law and protect election integrity.

The SAVE America Act will:

  • Require any voter to show a photo ID when they cast a ballot. Absentee and mail-in voters can attach a copy of their ID to their mail-in ballot;
  • Amend the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), which has governed U.S. voter registration since 1993, to require states to obtain documentary proof of U.S. citizenship – in person – when registering an individual to vote in a federal election;
  • Require States to check for noncitizens and other ineligible registrants on their voter rolls at least once a month;
  • Direct States to create a procedure for addressing discrepancies in documentation so that no eligible voter is disqualified due to a name change;
  • Allow eligible voters to register and provide documentary proof of citizenship by mail, provided their State allows early voting or same-day voter registration; and
  • Allow eligible voters to cast a provisional ballot if they forget to bring necessary paperwork on Election Day.

To learn more about how Rep. Messmer is working for Indiana’s 8th Congressional District, click here.

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