Election Law - Voter Registration Eligibility - U.S. Citizenship Verification (SAVE Our Elections Act of 2026)
HB0454, the “SAVE Our Elections Act of 2026,” would require Maryland election officials to verify the U.S. citizenship of voter registration applicants and registered voters using the federal SAVE (Systematic Alien Verification of Entitlement) Program. The bill directs the State Administrator of Elections to enroll Maryland in SAVE, and it requires local boards and the State Board to use that system when processing voter registration applications, including during early voting and on election day. It also requires the State Board to adopt regulations for how citizenship verification will be conducted.
If SAVE indicates that an applicant or registered voter is not a U.S. citizen, the bill requires election officials to send a notice of ineligibility and either reject the registration application or remove the person from the statewide voter registration list unless the person timely appeals. The bill creates an appeal process through the State Board and allows the individual to submit documentary proof of citizenship or obtain a hearing before a local board. It also requires the State Administrator to make arrangements with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to receive reports of Maryland residents submitted to SAVE for voter-registration verification.
The bill would amend Maryland Election Law provisions governing voter registration eligibility, application processing, list maintenance, and election-day/early-voting registration procedures. It adds a new statutory definition for the SAVE Program, expands the State Administrator’s duties to enroll Maryland in SAVE, and requires new reporting and appeal procedures when citizenship is questioned. In practical terms, it would affect the State Board of Elections, local election boards, voter registration applicants, and registered voters whose citizenship status is flagged by federal verification systems.
The bill is framed as an election-integrity measure and is presented as an emergency bill, suggesting supporters view it as needing immediate effect. Based on the bill text and available context, the overall tone is strongly pro-verification and aimed at preventing noncitizens from registering or remaining on the voter rolls. No committee transcript or vote record is provided here, so there is no documented opposition or bipartisan sentiment in the available materials.
The central point of contention is the use of the federal SAVE Program to verify citizenship for voter registration, including the risk of erroneous noncitizenship reports and the burden placed on eligible voters to prove citizenship. The bill anticipates that concern by creating an appeal process and allowing documentary evidence and hearings, but it still authorizes rejection or removal if the person does not timely appeal. Likely areas of dispute include privacy, administrative cost, accuracy of federal data, and whether the measure could create barriers for lawful voters, especially naturalized citizens or people whose records are incomplete or inconsistent.