Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, told Newsmax on Thursday that the Senate must follow the House's lead and pass the SAVE America Act to protect the integrity of U.S. elections and restore voter confidence nationwide.
Passed by the House in a largely party-line vote on Wednesday, the SAVE America Act would impose stricter federal voting rules by requiring documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register and a government-issued photo ID to cast a ballot in federal elections.
Lawmakers voted 218-213 to pass the bill, with a single Democrat joining Republicans in approving it.
Appearing on "Wake Up America," Husted said that requiring proof of citizenship and photo identification is a commonsense safeguard that Americans overwhelmingly support.
"I hope so, because I think the American people broadly support this — Republicans, independents, and Democrats," he said when asked if the Senate would pass the measure. "And it's just common sense."
Husted pointed to his home state of Ohio as proof that strong voter ID laws work without suppressing turnout.
"We made it easy to vote and hard to cheat in Ohio," he said. "You have to prove you're a citizen to register, and you have to show ID to vote, and that works just fine."
Despite repeated claims from Democrats that voter ID laws disenfranchise voters, Husted said the facts in Ohio tell a different story.
"We've had high voter turnout levels — some of the highest we've ever had — since photo ID was there," he said. "So, it doesn't create voter suppression as the Democrats allege."
Husted was unequivocal when asked whether Ohio encountered problems after implementing the requirements.
"No, we did not have any problems with that at all," he said.
Husted dismissed arguments that voter ID laws unfairly burden low-income Americans, noting that identification is already required to access a wide range of government services.
"To get SNAP benefits, to get Medicaid, you have to have an ID, right?" he said, referring to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
"Low-income people navigate the government system with IDs all the time," Husted said, rejecting what he called a "crazy" narrative that Americans are incapable of meeting basic identification standards.
He emphasized that Americans routinely show ID in conducting their everyday lives.
"We show an ID for so many things that we do every single day, and we should do it to vote," he said.
Husted also challenged Democrats directly, saying that if they truly want to rebuild trust in the U.S. electoral process, they should support photo ID requirements.
"If the Democrats really want to restore confidence in elections, then show people that you're willing to run them legitimately with photo ID in place," he said.
GET TODAY NEWSMAX+:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!
Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S.
You need to watch NEWSMAX today.
Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!
Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system – Go Here Now
BEST OFFER:
Sign up for NEWSMAX+ and get NEWSMAX, our streaming channel NEWSMAX2 and our military channel World at War.
Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials.
Even get Jon Voight's special series and President Trump's comedy programs and much more!
Watch NEWSMAX+ on your smartphone or home TV app.
Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!
Start your FREE trial now: NewsmaxPlus.com
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.