Florida Enacts SAVE Act, Requiring Driver’s Licenses To Include Citizenship Status

The Florida SAVE Act is now an official state law, with Governor Ron DeSantis signing the bill this month. DeSantis legalized Florida’s take on voter eligibility April 1. The new law is an iteration of the Trump-supported federal bill, which Congress remains in a standstill about in the government shutdown. For the upcoming midterm elections, Floridians will see new provisions for voter registration and ID requirements. According to WINK News , new licenses will include one’s citizenship status, appearing on all new and renewed forms of the identification starting next January. Before the bill’s signing, Florida voters could use various forms of identification to cast their ballot. This included student IDs and other IDs that showed one’s picture. Now, poll workers must verify citizenship through documents brought in by voters or a database check. This documentation includes a birth certificate or passport to prove one’s U.S. citizenship, as well as Social Security and proof of residence. For immigrant Florida voters, the requirements are even stricter, with this demographic needing a judge’s order as well. If records do not confirm one’s citizenship status, voters can only cast a provisional ballot. However, in order for one’s vote to officially count in elections, they must still provide applicable documents for eligibility later. Voting rights groups have spoken out against the Florida SAVE Act, noting the voter disenfranchis…