PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Feb 25, 2021
Save Democracy Act
This bill addresses issues involving voter registration, casting of ballots, and tabulation of ballots in federal elections.
Specifically, regarding voter registration for federal elections, the bill
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
prohibits the use of automatic voter registration systems,
requires individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote,
requires individuals to provide their full Social Security number on their voter registration application, and
requires courts to notify state election officials when an individual is recused from jury duty because the individual is not a U.S. citizen.
Next, regarding the casting of ballots in federal elections, the bill
requires individuals to provide proof of identification for absentee and in-person voting,
prohibits states from mailing unrequested absentee ballots,
prohibits the use of a drop box for collecting voted absentee ballots unless it is located inside of a building that serves as an office for the election official,
restricts the delivery of ballots by third parties (i.e., prohibits ballot harvesting),
requires that absentee ballots be received before the polls close on election day, and
requires states to use Social Security numbers to verify the identification of each individual who casts a ballot.
Finally, regarding the tabulation of ballots in federal elections, the bill
requires states to permit poll watching by at least two campaign representatives per campaign,
requires continuous counting of ballots after the closure of polling places on election day, and
requires an audit of voting systems.
People & committees
Sen. Scott, Rick [R-FL] · R–FL
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.
Source last updated: Dec 5, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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Analyze S.459 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.
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