Pappas Votes No (Again) As House Passes SAVE Act

By Michael Graham, NH Journal

More than 80 percent of Americans support requiring would-be voters to prove they are citizens when they register and to present identification when they vote. But New Hampshire’s Chris Pappas isn’t one of them.

The Democratic congressman voted against the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act on Wednesday. The bill passed the House in a largely party-line vote. It is at least the third time Pappas has voted against the legislation since it was introduced in 2024.

Fellow Democrat Rep. Maggie Goodlander also voted “no.”

The SAVE Act would require states to obtain documentary proof of citizenship before registering an individual to vote in federal elections. Under the current system, voters in some states can simply attest they are citizens when registering — a system New Hampshire used until last year.

In addition to the proof-of-citizenship requirement, the bill would require voters to present government-issued photo identification when casting ballots in federal elections. While many states already have voter ID laws, federal law does not currently impose a nationwide ID mandate.

The measure also directs states to establish procedures to remove noncitizens from voter rolls and imposes penalties on election officials who knowingly register ineligible voters.

Polls show these policies are popular with voters. A 2024 Gallup poll found 83 percent of Americans favor proof of citizenship for first-time voter registrants, as required by the SAVE Act. Eighty-four percent support requiring voters to present identification when they vote.

Republicans are seizing on Pappas’ vote as he seeks to become the state’s next U.S. senator.

“Requiring a photo ID to vote is commonsense policy overwhelmingly supported by both Republicans and Democrats across the country, except for Chris Pappas, who is yet again proving to be nothing more than a rubber stamp for Democrat leadership,” said NRSC Regional Press Secretary Samantha Cantrell.

Both Goodlander and Pappas voted against the SAVE Act last April and continue to oppose federal voter ID mandates.

Pappas did not respond to questions from NHJournal. He posted a statement on his campaign Twitter/X account regarding his vote.

“I voted against the SAVE Act because this isn’t about voter fraud. Republicans in Washington know that their agenda is unpopular. Their solution? Rigging the system to make it harder for Americans to vote,” Pappas wrote.

“Let’s be clear: It’s illegal to vote if you’re not a U.S. citizen. And our local officials work hard to keep our elections secure.”

The problem with that reasoning, supporters of the SAVE Act say, is that if you don’t confirm citizenship when people register, you can’t prevent noncitizens from voting illegally.

When he opposed a similar version of the SAVE Act last year, Pappas also released a statement.

“I voted no on this legislation today because it would force unnecessary federal changes to state voter registration and election procedures, creating even more undue burdens for married women, military members and their families, and seniors when they go to vote,” Pappas said.

Ironically, Pappas has also been an outspoken supporter of the “For the People Act,” a federal proposal that would have mandated early voting nationwide, required states to count certain late-arriving ballots, and allowed no-excuse mail-in voting. The Democrat-backed bill also would have prohibited voter ID mandates.

The two Republicans seeking to run against Pappas in November’s Senate race criticized his vote.

“Once again, Chris Pappas votes against something the people of New Hampshire support. Voter ID works. Pappas is out of touch, just like the liberal leadership he blindly follows every time,” said John E. Sununu.

Scott Brown offered a similar critique.

“I’m not surprised that Pappas would vote against something that would protect the integrity of our vote,” Brown said.

“He is the same person who supports men and boys in women’s and girls’ sports and locker rooms, does not support our law enforcement personnel, and is against qualified immunity, and voted for one of the biggest tax increases in the history of our country.

“Chris Pappas is out of touch with the values of New Hampshire voters and should not be our next United States senator.”

Several Republicans running in the GOP primary to replace Pappas in Congress also criticized his vote.

“This isn’t controversial; it is common sense, and the Democrats know it,” said businesswoman Hollie Noveletsky, who also noted that some Democrats require identification for attendees at their events.

“I will not apologize for supporting voter ID laws, and I think the Democrats running in the First Congressional District should explain why they are siding against 83 percent of Americans.”

Another GOP candidate, state Rep. Brian Cole (R-Manchester), offered what he called a simple litmus test.

“If you need an ID to buy a lottery ticket, grab a beer, board a plane, or access nearly any government service, it’s only common sense to require an ID to vote. New Hampshire deserves a congressman who puts common sense first.”

In his social media post on Wednesday, Pappas said, “Republicans are putting unnecessary burdens on married women, military members, families, and seniors. We saw similar extreme legislation pass here in New Hampshire — and we saw it impact Granite Staters’ ability to make their voices heard at the polls.”

GOP congressional candidate Melissa Bailey took issue with that claim.

“Voter ID and proof of citizenship aren’t extreme, their basic safeguards. What truly disenfranchises voters isn’t showing ID, it’s losing confidence that our elections are secure.

“Frankly, it’s insulting that the Democrats think minorities and married women can’t figure out how to get the correct identification to vote. It’s a shockingly low bar for the American people, assuming we can’t do something that we already do in our daily lives.”

The bill now heads to the Senate, where New Hampshire’s U.S. Sens. Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen are expected to support a filibuster to keep the legislation from reaching the Senate floor.

This story was originally published by the NH Journal, an online news publication dedicated to providing fair, unbiased reporting on, and analysis of, political news of interest to New Hampshire. For more stories from the NH Journal, visit NHJournal.com.