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Senate passes bill using SAVE to verify voter registrations after heated debate
Summary
Senate File 2203, which requires the secretary of state to verify registrants' U.S. citizenship via the SAVE system and directs counties to label and notify unconfirmed registrants (with cancellation after 90 days if unconfirmed), passed 34-13 after extended debate on SAVE's accuracy and election-administration risks.
Senate File 2203 passed following extended floor debate that centered on the accuracy and consequences of using the federal SAVE system to verify voter registrations.
Sponsor Senator Rosenboom said the bill directs the secretary of state to use SAVE to verify newly registered and existing voters and requires counties to mark registrants "unconfirmed" if verification fails; unconfirmed registrants would receive notice and have 90 days to provide proof of citizenship before their registration may be canceled.
"277 non citizens were registered to vote in Iowa. 35 of those non citizens successfully voted in the 2024 election, and 5 non citizens attempted to vote were were unsuccessful," Rosenboom said, citing work by the secretary of state's office and related referrals for investigation.
Opponents warned that SAVE can generate false positives and lead to erroneous purges. Senator Winkler described county vetting procedures already in place and shared a constituent example who was initially misidentified but later cleared, saying batch processing and late notice risk disenfranchising voters. Senator Tron Garriott criticized the state's 2023 exit from ERIC and said reliance on SAVE has produced inaccurate flags in other states.
The Senate adopted an amendment (50 32) granting rulemaking authority to the secretary of state, then moved to final reading. The roll-call vote was 34 in favor and 13 opposed; the bill was declared passed and will be messaged to the House.
