Fact Check: Schumer’s Claims About In-Person Voter Registration in the SAVE America Act

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer recently stated that the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act would require all Americans to register to vote in person, a practice he claims is only followed by 5% of the population. This claim, made on March 17, 2026, has been scrutinized for accuracy. Whereas the SAVE America Act does mandate in-person presentation of documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration, Schumer’s assertion regarding the current rate of in-person registration is misleading.

What Does the SAVE America Act Say About Voter Registration?

The SAVE America Act stipulates that individuals seeking to register to vote in federal elections must present documentary proof of U.S. Citizenship in person to the appropriate election official by the registration deadline. This requirement extends not only to recent registrants and those moving to a new state, but potentially to individuals updating their registration within a state, depending on state-level interpretations of the bill’s language. The definition of “election official” similarly remains ambiguous, raising questions about where proof of citizenship can be submitted – potentially including motor vehicle agencies.

How Many Americans Currently Register to Vote In Person?

Schumer cited a report from the Center for American Progress, based on a 2022 Election Assistance Commission (EAC) survey, stating that 5.9% of voters registered in person at election offices. But, this figure excludes in-person registrations at other government offices and polling places.

The most recent data from the EAC’s 2024 Election Administration and Voting Survey reveals a more comprehensive picture. The survey tracked various methods of in-person registration:

• At election offices: 6%
• At polling places and voting sites: 2.2%
• At public assistance offices: 1%
• At disability services offices: 0.1%
• At armed forces recruitment offices: 0.1%
• At other public facilities (e.g., libraries): 1.8%

Collectively, these in-person methods account for 11.2% of voter registrations. Matthew Weil, vice president for governance at the Bipartisan Policy Center, emphasized that “clearly, more than the 5% or 6% going to elections offices are registering in person.”

30.7% of registrations occurred through motor vehicle agencies, many of which likely require an in-person visit, though the EAC data does not specify whether these were completed online or in person.

Other Registration Methods

The EAC survey also showed that a significant portion of registrations occurred through other methods:

• Automatic voter registration: 25.2%
• Online registration: 13.9%
• Mail, email, and fax registrations: 8.3%
• Voter registration drives: 2%

Our Ruling

Schumer stated that the SAVE America Act “would force Americans to register only in person, something only 5% of Americans do today.” While the bill does require in-person submission of proof of citizenship, Schumer significantly underestimated the percentage of people who register to vote in person. Before the 2024 election, between 11% and 42% of registrations involved an in-person component, depending on how registrations at motor vehicle agencies are counted.

The statement is Half True.