California Gov. Gavin Newsom is escalating his opposition to congressional Republicans’ SAVE Act, calling proof-of-citizenship requirements for voter registration a modern-day version of “Jim Crow” and warning that Congress is attempting to reverse hard-fought voting gains from the Civil Rights era.
Speaking on his “This Is Gavin Newsom” podcast, Newsom criticized the House-passed Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, which would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote and reject applications that do not include it. The bill now heads to the Senate, where Majority Leader John Thune has indicated it will be taken up when lawmakers return to Washington.
Newsom framed the legislation as part of a broader national effort to tighten voting rules in response to election integrity concerns amplified by President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers. He has argued that requiring documentary proof of citizenship would disproportionately burden working-class voters, seniors and minority communities.
The SAVE Act would require registrants to provide documents such as a birth certificate, U.S. passport, Naturalization Certificate, Certificate of Citizenship or Consular Report of Birth Abroad. Federal agencies note that Real ID-compliant driver’s licenses do not independently establish citizenship.
California Governor Gavin Newsom says proving that you are an American citizen to vote is “Jim Crow.” pic.twitter.com/3fVmuagTfN
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) February 19, 2026
Supporters of the measure say it is necessary to ensure only U.S. citizens are registered to vote. Noncitizen voting is already illegal under federal law and can carry felony penalties and deportation. House Republicans argue the bill would create a uniform federal safeguard and prevent improper registrations.
The Maricopa County Recorder, for example, just reported a review of 61,681 Maricopa County voters that identified 137 registered voters who were not U.S. citizens. Of those, 60 individuals had voted in prior elections.
The debate over voter identification has become especially pointed in California. A state law prohibits local governments from requiring voters to present identification at polling places. The law followed a Huntington Beach charter amendment approved by voters that would have directed the city to require ID in municipal elections beginning in 2026.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley Weber sued Huntington Beach to block the policy, arguing it conflicts with state voting protections. An Orange County judge dismissed the lawsuit in November, ruling that because the city has not yet implemented the requirement, it does not currently conflict with state election law. State officials have said they intend to appeal.
Republicans have grown more aggressive in pushing voting reforms after Trump urged the party to “nationalize” election standards. They argue that uniform proof-of-citizenship requirements would bolster public confidence in elections.
While the U.S. remains divided on voter ID policy, internationally the practice is common. Comparative election data indicates that a majority of countries require some form of identification at the polls, with strict photo ID mandates prevalent across Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia.
The United States stands out among developed democracies for its patchwork system, with some states requiring photo ID and others relying on signature matching or voter roll verification without mandatory identification.
A 2024 academic dataset (Comparative Voter ID Law index, covering 246 jurisdictions including 196 countries) found that about 70.7% of them have the strictest form: requiring photo ID cards. Another ~12.9% require non-photo ID, and ~15.3% use basic personal details—meaning over 83% require some tangible form of ID beyond just stating details verbally.
Regional trends reinforce this: Africa and Asia have the highest proportions of photo ID requirements, while requirements are near-universal in places like Europe (most countries require government-issued photo ID), Latin America (all South American countries and Mexico require photo ID), and many others.
However, the United States stands out as an outlier among developed democracies—only about half its states require photo ID, and some require none at all—while most peer nations (Canada, Germany, France, India, Brazil, etc.) mandate it. Overall, requiring some form of identification (often photo-based) is the standard practice internationally to verify voter identity at the polls, with strict photo ID being the most common approach in the majority of countries.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
