BOSTON — Senator Ed Markey took to social media Sunday night to announce he would vote against the SAVE Act — a bill that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections — calling it "a dangerous move to keep Black and Brown voters, women, and LGBTQ+ people from the ballot box."

There's just one problem: the bill doesn't mention race. It doesn't mention gender. It doesn't mention sexual orientation. It requires a passport, birth certificate, or government-issued photo ID that confirms U.S. citizenship. That's it.

But Markey, who has represented Massachusetts in Congress since 1976, apparently believes that asking voters to prove they're American citizens is racist.

What the SAVE Act actually does

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act — which passed the House 218-213 on February 11 — would amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections.

Acceptable documents include:

• A valid U.S. passport
• A birth certificate paired with a government-issued photo ID
• A naturalization certificate
• An enhanced driver's license (available in five states)
• A military identification card

For those who can't produce these documents, the bill mandates each state establish a process where applicants can sign a sworn attestation of citizenship, which officials would then verify.

Non-citizens voting in federal elections is already illegal under the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996. The SAVE Act simply adds a verification step to enforce a law that's been on the books for three decades.

Markey's argument

"Trump and MAGA Republicans know they have no solutions to the issues that Americans are angry about, so they plan to meddle with the 2026 election," Markey wrote on X. "I will vote NO."

The SAVE Act is a dangerous move to keep Black and Brown voters, women, and LGBTQ+ people from the ballot box. Trump and MAGA Republicans know they have no solutions to the issues that Americans are angry about, so they plan to meddle with the 2026 election. I will vote NO.

— Ed Markey (@SenMarkey) February 23, 2026

The senator's framing — that requiring citizenship verification is a tool to suppress "Black and Brown voters" — raises an uncomfortable question: why would proving citizenship disproportionately affect any racial group unless Markey is suggesting that certain groups are less likely to be citizens?

Critics have pointed out that the argument essentially implies non-white Americans are less capable of obtaining basic identification documents — a premise many find more offensive than the bill itself.

The numbers

The bill passed the House with only one Democrat — Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar — crossing party lines to vote yes. It now heads to the Senate, where it would need 60 votes to overcome a filibuster.

According to the Brennan Center for Justice, approximately 21.3 million American citizens of voting age don't have "proof of citizenship readily available" — though the bill's attestation provision is designed to address exactly that scenario.

The Center for American Progress has argued that 69 million women may have a last name that doesn't match their birth certificate, potentially creating complications. The bill's supporters counter that the attestation process and document verification provisions handle these edge cases.

A pattern

This isn't the first time Markey has framed opposition to Republican legislation in racial terms. The 79-year-old senator — who was recently endorsed by Mayor Wu for re-election — has made identity politics a cornerstone of his messaging as he faces a potential primary challenge from Congressman Seth Moulton and a general election threat from Republican John Deaton. Previously, Markey cried "illegal war" after the U.S. moved against Venezuela's drug trafficking regime, and was blasted on X by EPA administrator Lee Zeldin after demanding more taxpayer money for lead pipes — only for the agency to reveal Massachusetts hadn't spent a dime of its existing $155 million fund.

The question nobody's asking

If it's already illegal for non-citizens to vote — and has been since 1996 — why is verifying citizenship such a problem?

Every time you board a plane, you show ID. Every time you buy alcohol, you show ID. Every time you pick up a prescription, you show ID.

But asking someone to prove they're an American citizen before they vote for the people who run the country? According to Ed Markey, that's racist.