Across the country, state lawmakers are introducing bills that would require documentary proof of citizenship, or DPOC, to register to vote or request a ballot. These proposals would force voters to provide physical documents, such as a passport, birth certificate, or naturalization papers, before registering. These requirements are attempting to solve a problem that doesn’t exist while creating real barriers for eligible voters.
Throughout the first year of the 119th Congress, the League of Women Voters did advocacy work around legislation with significant implications for both our democracy and the people within it. This blog looks back at five of the most consequential legislative battles of 2025, as well as their implications for our country and the League’s 2026 advocacy work.
The League of Women Voters of the United States issued the following statement in response to today’s House vote on the SAVE America Act.
Last Friday, the League of Women Voters of California, League of Women Voters Orange Coast, and League of Women Voters of North Orange County (together, “the League”) filed a motion to intervene on behalf of voters in USA v. Page.
Over the past few years, the League has tracked a surge in legislative and administrative attacks chipping away at the rights of LGBTQIA+ community members, particularly transgender individuals. This presents a threat to both personal safety and, on a broader level, democracy.
We are facing a pivotal moment for US voting rights. Policies like the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, President Donald Trump’s executive order on elections, and legislation in more than two dozen states could upend the way Americans register to vote.
Proponents say this step is necessary to ensure only eligible Americans are voting in elections, even though there are many long-standing practices in place that have effectively met this desire.
Let’s be clear: efforts like the SAVE Act aren’t about safeguarding elections, they’re about silencing voters.
2025 marks the 60th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, the historic day when civil rights activists attempted to march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, but were violently stopped by law enforcement.
The horrors of Bloody Sunday, broadcast across the nation, led to the signing of the most important and impactful civil rights legislation in our history. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA) marked the first time that access to the ballot was genuinely available for all American voters, directly addressing racial discrimination in voting.
Today, as we examine our current state of voting in the US, it’s crucial to see our history led us here and what we can learn.
HR 22, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, will require that every eligible voter provide documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote even though voters in every state are already required to affirm or verify their citizenship status when registering and voting.
Every eligible voter could be unnecessarily burdened by the SAVE Act at some point when they update or change their voter registration information.
Congress must act to ensure that every eligible US citizen has the freedom to vote unimpeded by discriminatory rules rooted in fear and division.
With anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation sharply on the rise, it’s no surprise that barriers to voting have also increased for transgender people.
With this in mind, the League opposes strict voter ID laws, as they often unfairly burden certain groups of voters, while being totally unnecessary to prevent voter fraud.