Northwoods Reporter

Matthew Rust, chairman of the St. Croix County Republicans, has called on U.S. Senators to pass the SAVE Act, emphasizing its importance for maintaining election integrity and respecting the majority of Americans who support proof of citizenship for voting. Rust made these remarks to Northwoods Reporter.

"Our elections can only work if voters trust the system, and that starts with securing the ballot box," said Rust. "The SAVE Act is the answer for millions of Americans who support voter ID and proof of citizenship. Our Senators have a duty to respond to the will of the people and prioritize election integrity. It's simple common sense - anyone voting to determine America's future must be an American."

According to Fox News, the House passed the Trump-backed Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act with a vote of 220-208 on April 10, where 208 Democrats opposed it. The legislation mandates in-person proof of citizenship for federal election registration and aims to remove noncitizens from voter rolls. It now requires 60 votes in the Senate to proceed further. Despite widespread public support for voter identification measures, Democrats largely rejected the bill, as reported by Fox News. The SAVE Act has gained traction in light of the upcoming 2024 election, with former President Trump and the Republican National Committee advocating for stricter voter verification processes in key battleground states.

A Gallup poll conducted shortly before the 2024 election revealed strong bipartisan support for early voting (76%), requiring photo ID to vote (84%), and proof of citizenship for first-time voter registration (83%). Additionally, smaller majorities favor automatic voter registration (60%) and sending absentee ballot applications to all voters (60%). Most Americans oppose limiting drop boxes (58%) and purging voters due to non-participation (64%). While Republicans tend to favor policies aimed at preventing voter fraud, Democrats generally advocate for expanding access. These views have remained relatively stable since 2022, although there have been some shifts among partisan lines according to Gallup.

Rust was first elected as Chairman of the Republican Party of St. Croix County in 2023. According to their website, he is "focused on boosting Republican voter turnout, growing the Party’s membership, and communicating the Party’s positions on issues that matter to St. Croix County voters."