Florida Democrat Senate candidate Alexander Vindman, who is running to replace Secretary of State Marco Rubio, claimed that the SAVE America Act would make it harder for women to vote.
During a recent campaign event, he repeated a claim other Democrats have made about the proposed legislation, which passed in the House, but has been stalled in the Senate.
“Another place is that we have a troubled history in the state with nasty party politics and trying to disenfranchise people,” Vindman told the crowd. “I think that's playing out certainly at the federal level. They're trying to pass something called the SAVE Act that doesn't look like it's going to happen, but there's a state variant that they're looking to pass that models very similarly. And, you know, we have a pretty rigorous system already in the state … that requires picture IDs in order to register.”
Vindman continued, saying that Republicans “want to add some of these other layers and we will have to deal with— if they do pass this bill, we'll have to deal with it.”
The candidate claimed, without evidence, that the bill would force women to face another obstacle to voting. “I imagine a lot of you have taken your husband's name and that name probably doesn't match your birth certificate. So they're attempting to make it difficult for women to vote,” he said.
Florida Democrat Senate candidate Alexander Vindman claims the SAVE America Act will make it harder for women to vote.
— Jeff Charles, Asker of Questions🏴 (@jeffcharlesjr) August 5, 2026
"I imagine a lot of you have taken your husband's name and that name probably doesn't match your birth certificate. So they're attempting to make it difficult… pic.twitter.com/tze3314emr
The thrust of Vindman’s argument is that women who get married and change their last name to one that is not on their birth certificate will not be able to show the necessary documentation to prove they are American citizens as the bill requires.
However, it’s worth noting that those who are already registered would not be affected by this. Also, the bill requires states to address name discrepancies in a way that does not prevent women from registering to vote in federal elections.
Moreover, multiple polls show that most Americans agree with the requirements the bill would enact.
From Fox News:
The new poll, released Thursday, finds roughly eight in 10 registered voters favor requiring photo identification to register to vote (83%) and to cast a ballot (77%). Support for requiring photo ID to vote has remained consistently high, between 77% to 85%, in Fox News polling since 2011.
"It’s a testament to gridlock and partisan polarization that no one seems capable of crafting a legislative compromise that can win passage of a bill featuring policies where large majorities support them," says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts the Fox News Poll with Democrat Chris Anderson.
Backing for voter ID spans the political spectrum, though intensity varies. Nearly all Republicans think it should be mandatory (96% to register, 95% to vote), as do roughly eight in 10 independents (83%, 77%).
Democrats are a bit less supportive, with 72% backing photo ID to register and 62% to vote. Outside party lines, most groups favor photo ID, including Hispanic voters (85% to register, 76% to vote) and voters under age 30 (82%, 75%).
The most recent survey from the University of North Florida’s Public Opinion Research lab conducted last month showed the Republican incumbent Ashley Moody leading Vindman 50 percent to 40 percent. About seven to 10 percent were undecided.
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