In a representative democracy like the United States, the right to vote – is precious. It’s how “we the people” decide who will represent us and which laws will govern us.

That’s why it’s restricted to citizens. They’re presumed to have the long-term interests of our country at heart.

The SAVE Act – short for Safeguard American Voter Eligibility—requires proof of US citizenship for voter registration in federal elections. It’s already passed the House of Representatives.

Senate Minority Leader John Thune seems reluctant to call it for a vote in the Senate. Given Democratic opposition, the bill’s likely to fail despite broad public support.

But Americans deserve to know which politicians want to protect the integrity of our elections. Because without confidence in the security of the vote, America risks becoming a representative democracy in name—but not in fact.