Washington, D.C. – January 15, 2026 — Conservative activists are mounting a concerted campaign to pressure Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to bring the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act to a floor vote, citing recent findings of non-citizens on Michigan’s voter rolls as evidence of the bill’s urgency. The legislation, which passed the House in April 2025, has languished in the Senate for nine months amid partisan divides, with Republicans arguing it is essential for election integrity and Democrats warning it could disenfranchise legitimate voters ahead of the 2026 midterms.
The SAVE Act aims to strengthen federal voter registration requirements by mandating documentary proof of U.S. citizenship—such as a passport, birth certificate, or naturalization papers—and directing states to cross-check voter rolls against federal databases to remove non-citizens.
Proponents say these measures are critical to prevent illegal voting, especially in light of reports from Macomb County, Michigan, where Republican Clerk Anthony Forlini disclosed that 239 non-citizens were identified in a jury pool drawn from driver’s license records over a four-month period. Of those, 14 had registered to vote, and one appeared to have cast ballots multiple times.
“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” said influencer Scott Presler in a recent X post, highlighting Forlini’s press release and tagging Thune directly. “Michigan literally has non-citizens on its voter rolls. The SAVE Act would prevent this from happening.”
Presler, known for mobilizing Trump supporters through voter registration drives, has been relentless in his advocacy, marking “day 14” of daily calls for Thune to act.
Similarly, Gunther Eagleman, another prominent conservative voice on X, urged Thune to “floor it” and pass the bill, emphasizing its importance for Republican success in 2026.
The push comes as Republicans control both chambers of Congress and the White House following President Trump’s reelection. House Republicans, including Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), have proposed enhancements to the SAVE Act, such as same-day voting only, stricter absentee ballot rules, limited early voting, and mandatory voter ID at polling locations.
Eagleman echoed this sentiment in a post responding to a colleague’s video, calling for the bill’s passage to “stop the Democrat cheat.”
Democrats, however, contend the SAVE Act is redundant and harmful. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, has labeled it a “trick” that would burden voters—particularly those in rural areas, low-income communities, and minority groups—by requiring in-person registration with specific federal documents.
A review by her office last year identified only 15 potential non-citizen voters out of more than 5.7 million ballots cast in the 2024 presidential election, underscoring that such incidents are rare.
“There has been no evidence of widespread fraud, but these laws will cause widespread disenfranchisement,” said Kyle Zawacki, legislative director of the ACLU of Michigan.
Critics also point to broader implications, including challenges for tribal citizens, military members, and others without easy access to the required documents.
Senate Democrats, led by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, have vowed to filibuster the bill, requiring 60 votes to overcome—a threshold Republicans may struggle to meet without bipartisan support.
In Michigan, efforts to implement similar proof-of-citizenship measures at the state level have met resistance. A proposed constitutional amendment failed to advance in the state House along party lines, and a ballot initiative drive is underway but faces hurdles in collecting more than 440,000 signatures for the 2026 ballot.
Thune’s office has not responded to requests for comment on the activists’ demands, but the leader has faced similar pressure on unrelated posts, with replies flooded by calls to prioritize the SAVE Act.
As the 2026 midterms approach, the debate over election security versus voter access is poised to intensify, with the SAVE Act serving as a flashpoint for both sides.
The dems are desperate to prevent any common sense measure that would prevent criminal alien invaders from voting for…….democrats.