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Supporting Citizenship Requirements to Participate in Voting in Kane County
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WHEREAS, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE ACT) passed the U.S. House of Representatives on April 10, 2025, by a vote of 220-208, and a vote in the U.S. Senate has been publicly reported to occur shortly; and
WHEREAS, publicly available summaries of the SAVE Act indicate that it proposes requiring documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote, including the use of documents such as:
1. REAL ID showing U.S. citizenship;
2. A U.S. passport;
3. A military ID showing U.S. birthplace;
4. A government-issued photo ID showing U.S. place of birth;
5. A government-issued photo ID accompanied by a birth certificate or naturalization certification; and
WHEREAS, it has been reported that under current federal procedures, individuals may register to vote by affirming their U.S. citizenship on a form without documentary proof, including online or in person, and the SAVE Act would also make mail in voter registration unavailable; and
WHEREAS, it has been publicly reported that separate legislation, described as the Save America Act, may be considered by the U.S. House of Representatives during the current week, and summaries indicate that it includes provisions relating to voter identification requirements for casting ballots and additional documentation requirements for absentee and mail in voting; and
WHEREAS, publicly available reports state that the Save America Act includes provisions concerning voter roll maintenance, including a requirement for more frequent voter roll review and cooperation with federal agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration to identify potential non citizens; and
WHEREAS, it has been reported that under the Save America Act, individuals flagged as non-citizens would be required to be removed from voter rolls, and that election officials could face civil or criminal penalties in certain circumstances, including the creation of a private right of action for individuals who believe non-citizens are registered; and
WHEREAS, voter registration and identification procedures vary from state to state, and in the State of Illinois current procedures require an applicant to sign a sworn statement (affidavit) affirming that they are a citizen of the United States-an attestation made under penalty of law on official State Board of Elections forms, which serves as Illinois’ legally recognized proof of citizenship for voter registration-and Illinois does not require registrants or voters to present additional documentary proof of citizenship or photo identification to register or to cast a ballot, whether in person or by mail; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Kane County Board hereby supports the above referenced information relating to federal legislation concerning voter registration, voter identification, and voter roll maintenance; and
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Kane County Board encourages the Kane County Clerk to share a copy of this Resolution to the appropriate offices and agencies.
Passed by the Kane County Board on April 14, 2026.
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John A. Cunningham, MBA, JD, JD Corinne M. Pierog MA, MBA
Clerk, County Board Chairman, County Board
Kane County, Illinois Kane County, Illinois
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