TAMPA, Fla. — President Donald Trump renewed his call for Congress to pass the federal SAVE Act during his prime-time address Tuesday night.
While the legislation remains stalled in the U.S. Senate, a similar measure has already been approved in Florida.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Florida’s SAVE Act into law on April 1. The legislation is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2027, although it is currently facing legal challenges that could affect its implementation.
The new law includes several changes to Florida’s election procedures. Individuals registering to vote will be required to provide proof of both U.S. and Florida citizenship. Voters will also be required to present an official form of identification when casting a ballot.
Florida’s SAVE Act has been challenged in court by the ACLU and the NAACP. DeSantis has said that he expected legal challenges and believes the courts will ultimately uphold the law.
At the federal level, the SAVE Act has already passed the U.S. House of Representatives but has not advanced in the Senate.
In addition, the law directs local Supervisors of Elections to conduct more extensive reviews of voter registration rolls, removing registrations that cannot be verified. It also increases penalties for election-related crimes, including violations committed by candidates during their own campaigns.
Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer said Florida’s election system already includes multiple safeguards to protect the integrity of the voting process.
“The elections in the state are extremely secure and accurate,” said Latimer. “Everything we do is in state law and administrative rule. Our legislators have passed laws that put good guardrails around a lot of what we do to make sure that we’re running accurate, fair.”