Do we still need the Citizen Only Voting Amendment (COVA) if the SAVE Act (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act) is made into law?

Let’s start out by explaining why states need the Citizen Only Voting Amendment (or COVA, for short).  The constitutions of states that do not have COVA will define electors as “Any United States Citizen over the age of 18”.  Sometimes, instead of “Any”, it is “A” or “Every”.  This language protects the rights of United States citizens to vote in elections.  It does not, however, reserve the right to vote to only United States citizens.  When a municipality allows non-citizens to vote in municipal or school board elections, the municipality maintains its own voter rolls.  A non-citizen does not register to vote with the state.

The SAVE Act will amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require proof of United States citizenship to register an individual to vote in elections for Federal office, and for other purposes.

The documentary proof is identified as

-A form of identification issued consistent with the requirements of the REAL ID Act of 2005 that indicates the applicant is a citizen of the United States

-A valid U.S. passport

-U.S. military ID card with a U.S. military record of service showing that the applicant’s place of birth was in the United States

-A valid government-issued photo identification card issued by Federal, State or Tribal government other than an identification other than previously listed with a U.S. birth certificate, U.S. Hospital record of birth, adoption degree listing U.S. birth, consular report of U.S. citizen birth abroad, naturalization certificate, American Indian Card issued by Department of Homeland Security with a classification KIC

The SAVE Act states, “No State shall accept and process an application to register to vote in an election for Federal office unless the applicant presents documentary proof of United States citizenship with the application.”

The SAVE Act is focused on Federal elections — COVA is focused on all elections that are run within the state.  The SAVE Act is focused on requiring an individual to prove that they are a citizen when they register to vote — COVA does not address voter registration.  The SAVE Act makes the Citizen Only Voting Amendment (COVA) stronger, and the Citizen Only Voting Amendment (COVA) makes the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act stronger.  Together, they make the votes of United States citizens stronger.