Both requiring photo ID for voting and demanding proof of citizenship for registration enjoy broad, often bipartisan, support.
However, this consensus doesn’t mean everyone is satisfied with the current election system.
Republicans are typically more likely to believe in widespread voter fraud, particularly in urban and Democratic-leaning areas, though this sentiment isn’t shared by an overwhelming majority even within their own party.
Conversely, many Democrats express concern that citizenship verification requirements could disenfranchise eligible citizens.
A significant preference remains for local control over elections, with most Americans believing their individual states, rather than the federal government, should have the ultimate authority on how elections are managed.
Furthermore, most Americans approve of voting by mail, with those who utilize this method being especially supportive.
Overall, very few Americans possess detailed knowledge about the contents of the SAVE Act.
Voter ID and Citizenship Verification
The concept of requiring photo identification to vote garners support across political spectrums.
<span class="img embed__content"><img src="https://assets1.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2026/03/19/20123152-2c49-4c15-a575-a05add4fac76/photo-id.png#" alt="photo-id.png " width="867" height="488" srcset="https://assets1.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2026/03/19/20123152-2c49-4c15-a575-a05add4fac76/photo-id.png 1x" loading="lazy"/></span>
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</figure> <span class="img embed__content"><img src="https://assets1.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2026/03/19/820998f6-e59f-491e-866c-7c0f2208a613/photo-id-by-pty.png#" alt="photo-id-by-pty.png " width="867" height="488" srcset="https://assets1.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2026/03/19/820998f6-e59f-491e-866c-7c0f2208a613/photo-id-by-pty.png 1x" loading="lazy"/></span>
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</figure>Similarly, requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration garners majority backing, though slightly less than photo ID for voting.
<span class="img embed__content"><img src="https://assets1.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2026/03/19/06352f28-edb7-41b6-9325-ba41b4d9d4ac/proof-citiz.png#" alt="proof-citiz.png " width="867" height="488" srcset="https://assets1.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2026/03/19/06352f28-edb7-41b6-9325-ba41b4d9d4ac/proof-citiz.png 1x" loading="lazy"/></span>
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</figure>Many believe that acceptable identification for voting should extend beyond simple student IDs or signatures.
Potential Consequences of Proof Requirements
The perceived effects of mandating citizenship proof are highly polarized: Democrats are more inclined to believe it will prevent eligible U.S. citizens from voting, while Republicans more commonly think it will prevent non-citizens from illegally participating.
<span class="img embed__content"><img src="https://assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2026/03/19/7ee4feed-ce9e-44a3-aa68-1b2692973094/require-impact-by-party.png#" alt="require-impact-by-party.png " width="867" height="488" srcset="https://assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2026/03/19/7ee4feed-ce9e-44a3-aa68-1b2692973094/require-impact-by-party.png 1x" loading="lazy"/></span>
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</figure>Overall Perspectives on the Voting Process
Views on potential issues within the voting process are heavily influenced by party affiliation.
The belief in widespread systemic fraud is significantly more common among rank-and-file Republicans than other groups.
However, even among Republicans, this view is not held by an overwhelming majority, with just over half subscribing to it.
This trend is not new; in the years following the 2020 election, most Republicans consistently doubted the legitimacy of former President Joe Biden’s election.
<span class="img embed__content"><img src="https://assets1.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2026/03/19/ef5e70c1-71a4-46b7-8c59-aaf7cc86bcbb/fraud-by-party.png#" alt="fraud-by-party.png " width="867" height="488" srcset="https://assets1.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2026/03/19/ef5e70c1-71a4-46b7-8c59-aaf7cc86bcbb/fraud-by-party.png 1x" loading="lazy"/></span>
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</figure>Republicans more specifically tend to attribute fraud to urban rather than suburban or rural areas, and to Democratic states rather than Republican ones.
<span class="img embed__content"><img src="https://assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2026/03/19/442df8a4-4ac4-4694-9f90-845df4de1bac/dem-rep-areas-fraud.png#" alt="dem-rep-areas-fraud.png " width="867" height="488" srcset="https://assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2026/03/19/442df8a4-4ac4-4694-9f90-845df4de1bac/dem-rep-areas-fraud.png 1x" loading="lazy"/></span>
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</figure> <span class="img embed__content"><img src="https://assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2026/03/19/5e8b6651-59ac-4116-80e3-b4083de1a01a/cities-subs-fraud.png#" alt="cities-subs-fraud.png " width="867" height="488" srcset="https://assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2026/03/19/5e8b6651-59ac-4116-80e3-b4083de1a01a/cities-subs-fraud.png 1x" loading="lazy"/></span>
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</figure>Mail voting, which constitutes a significant or even sole voting method in many states, elicits mixed opinions. Most Republicans believe it should be restricted to those physically unable to vote.
Republicans also generally perceive mail balloting as a pathway to increased fraud.
<span class="img embed__content"><img src="https://assets1.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2026/03/19/6b9e3732-9715-4f96-946f-8ed319ad77f0/mail-in-person-fraud.png#" alt="mail-in-person-fraud.png " width="867" height="488" srcset="https://assets1.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2026/03/19/6b9e3732-9715-4f96-946f-8ed319ad77f0/mail-in-person-fraud.png 1x" loading="lazy"/></span>
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</figure>However, opinions on mail voting also vary based on an individual’s own voting method.
Most individuals who report voting by mail in 2024 advocate for its availability to all voters, a view shared by approximately half of mail-in voters who supported President Trump.
<span class="img embed__content"><img src="https://assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2026/03/19/a1a13fb9-5f20-46c0-864c-fdbd2085736d/who-vote-by-mail-by-pty.png#" alt="who-vote-by-mail-by-pty.png " width="867" height="488" srcset="https://assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2026/03/19/a1a13fb9-5f20-46c0-864c-fdbd2085736d/who-vote-by-mail-by-pty.png 1x" loading="lazy"/></span>
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</figure>Republicans are considerably more likely to believe that non-citizens frequently vote illegally in federal elections, though this opinion is not universal among all Republicans.
<span class="img embed__content"><img src="https://assets1.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2026/03/19/b389fe18-d120-496b-8613-d435343d82bd/non-citizens-voting-by-pty.png#" alt="non-citizens-voting-by-pty.png " width="867" height="488" srcset="https://assets1.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2026/03/19/b389fe18-d120-496b-8613-d435343d82bd/non-citizens-voting-by-pty.png 1x" loading="lazy"/></span>
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</figure>More generally, most Republicans identify ineligible individuals casting votes as a major issue.
Conversely, Democrats tend to view the prevention of eligible citizens from voting as the primary problem.
<span class="img embed__content"><img src="https://assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2026/03/19/d9589d78-8fc5-4b12-9980-0e4ad03914b7/major-probl-updated.png#" alt="major-probl-updated.png " width="867" height="488" srcset="https://assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2026/03/19/d9589d78-8fc5-4b12-9980-0e4ad03914b7/major-probl-updated.png 1x" loading="lazy"/></span>
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</figure>However, these opinions don’t necessarily translate into specific knowledge about the SAVE Act. Many who support ID and citizenship proof requirements admit they are unsure about the SAVE Act and lack detailed understanding of its provisions.
<span class="img embed__content"><img src="https://assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2026/03/19/5ad111b0-5229-43ec-9e0f-c40c7aa8875c/save-act-fav-opp.png#" alt="save-act-fav-opp.png " width="867" height="488" srcset="https://assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2026/03/19/5ad111b0-5229-43ec-9e0f-c40c7aa8875c/save-act-fav-opp.png 1x" loading="lazy"/></span>
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</figure> <span class="img embed__content"><img src="https://assets1.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2026/03/19/262c4820-4d3c-4086-becc-f2c93f9a3702/save-act-know-it.png#" alt="save-act-know-it.png " width="867" height="488" srcset="https://assets1.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2026/03/19/262c4820-4d3c-4086-becc-f2c93f9a3702/save-act-know-it.png 1x" loading="lazy"/></span>
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</figure>Is Election Oversight a Federal Responsibility?
Most Americans believe their respective states, not the federal government, should hold the final authority over election administration.
<span class="img embed__content"><img src="https://assets1.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2026/03/19/7bf1a22f-0f59-46a7-beaa-6bd0274e88d8/final-say-in-elex.png#" alt="final-say-in-elex.png " width="867" height="488" srcset="https://assets1.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2026/03/19/7bf1a22f-0f59-46a7-beaa-6bd0274e88d8/final-say-in-elex.png 1x" loading="lazy"/></span>
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</figure>Regarding oversight, perspectives often align with the party in power rather than abstract governance principles. Currently, most Republicans desire increased federal oversight of state elections, while most Democrats do not. This stance reverses from 2021, during the Biden administration, when Democrats favored more federal oversight and Republicans opposed it.
Ultimately, Americans across party lines generally express at least some (if not high) confidence in the administration of their local and state elections.
<span class="img embed__content"><img src="https://assets1.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2026/03/19/2ac42208-f269-48be-b92e-d5c349a0d89a/conf-in-local-elex-admin.png#" alt="conf-in-local-elex-admin.png " width="867" height="488" srcset="https://assets1.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2026/03/19/2ac42208-f269-48be-b92e-d5c349a0d89a/conf-in-local-elex-admin.png 1x" loading="lazy"/></span>
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</figure>They largely anticipate their individual votes will be accurately counted.
<span class="img embed__content"><img src="https://assets1.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2026/03/19/aa6fe1d3-a89f-421e-9797-b3f57847db35/conf-in-2026-vote.png#" alt="conf-in-2026-vote.png " width="867" height="488" srcset="https://assets1.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2026/03/19/aa6fe1d3-a89f-421e-9797-b3f57847db35/conf-in-2026-vote.png 1x" loading="lazy"/></span>
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</figure>Even Republicans, who often perceive widespread fraud—especially in cities and Democratic strongholds—remain confident that their *own* vote will be correctly tallied and recorded.
This CBS News/YouGov survey involved a nationally representative sample of 2,500 U.S. adults, conducted between March 16-19, 2026. The sample was adjusted to reflect the nationwide demographics in terms of gender, age, race, and education, based on data from the U.S. Census American Community Survey and Current Population Survey, as well as the 2024 presidential vote. The margin of error for this survey is ±2.2 points.
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