Carol Davis, chair of the Illinois Conservative Union, is calling on Illinois Senators Richard Durbin and Tammy Duckworth to support the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act as it advances in Congress.
“Senator Richard Durbin, as you retire at the end of this year after 30 years as a U.S. Senator, what will be your legacy? If you don’t help to pass the SAVE America Act, which has overwhelming support from both Democrats and Republicans, instead of being remembered as a faithful public servant, you’ll be remembered as a partisan ideologue who couldn’t care less about what the American people support. Senator Tammy Duckworth, over 85% of your constituents in Illinois are demanding that the Senate pass the SAVE America Act,” Davis said.
If passed, the legislation would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship, such as a passport, REAL ID-compliant identification, or a certified birth certificate with photo ID, to register for federal elections. It would also require states to verify citizenship before processing voter registration applications and reject forms that do not include the required documentation. The bill passed the U.S. House in February 2026 and is now under consideration in the Senate.
The debate over election eligibility standards has drawn attention as national surveys show broad support for both voter ID requirements and proof of citizenship for registration.
A March 2026 Economist/YouGov poll found majority support for requiring proof of citizenship to vote, while other surveys from the same period show more than 70% support for photo identification requirements across party lines. Similar provisions have passed the House in previous sessions, according to YouGov.
Illinois currently allows voter registration through an attestation of citizenship under penalty of perjury rather than requiring documentary proof and does not mandate photo identification to vote in federal elections. State officials have faced scrutiny over voter roll maintenance and access to citizenship verification data through federal systems. Advocates for stricter requirements argue Illinois’ approach differs from states that mandate documentary citizenship checks or voter ID, according to Votebeat.
Davis serves as chair of the Illinois Conservative Union and has long advocated for election integrity measures across the state, including improved voter roll accuracy and eligibility verification. Based in Carol Stream, she has collaborated with local Republican organizations and grassroots activists to promote secure voting practices in Illinois elections.
