SR 838: "State Assurance of Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Amendment" -CA

Georgia's Constitution currently says any citizen of the United States who is also a Georgia resident, at least 18, and not disqualified can vote. This resolution proposes a constitutional amendment that rewords that language to say only individuals who are citizens (rather than any person who is a citizen) may vote, and adds a new requirement that registered voters present photographic identification before casting a ballot in any election. The General Assembly would decide by future law what forms of ID count. Because this is a proposed constitutional amendment, it cannot take effect on its own. It must first be published and then placed on the ballot for Georgia voters to ratify or reject, with the ballot question asking whether the Constitution should be amended to clarify citizen-only voting and require photo ID.

• Rewords Article II, Section I, Paragraph II of the Georgia Constitution to state that only citizens of the United States may vote, changing phrasing from 'every person who is a citizen' to 'only individuals who are citizens.'
• Adds a new constitutional requirement that registered electors present photographic identification before casting a ballot in any election.
• Directs the General Assembly to decide by future law which forms of photo identification will satisfy the requirement.
• Sets a short title for the measure, the 'State Assurance of Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Amendment.'
• Requires the proposed amendment to be published and put before Georgia voters for ratification or rejection at the ballot box.

Georgia voters and prospective voters, who would face a constitutional photo ID requirement at the polls, and the General Assembly, which would be tasked with defining acceptable forms of identification by law. County election officials who check voter credentials would also be affected.

If ratified, this would embed a photo ID requirement directly in Georgia's Constitution rather than leaving it to statute, making it harder to change without another constitutional amendment. It would also affirm citizen-only voting in the state's founding document, though current law already limits voting to citizens.

• Section 1 establishes the short title, the 'State Assurance of Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Amendment.'
• Section 2 revises Article II, Section I, Paragraph II of the Constitution to specify that only citizens of the United States who are Georgia residents may vote.
• The same section inserts a new requirement that registered electors present photographic identification, with forms specified by the General Assembly, before casting a ballot.
• A second Section 2 (numbered again in the text) sets the ballot question language voters will see and specifies the process for ratification under Article X, Section I, Paragraph II of the Constitution.

1. 2026-03-06Senate Lost (Senate)
2. 2026-03-06Senate Third Read (Senate)
3. 2026-03-06Senate Engrossed (Senate)
4. 2026-03-04Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
5. 2026-03-03Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
6. 2026-02-25Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
7. 2026-02-24Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Greg Dolezal (R, SD-027)Primary sponsor
• Shawn Still (R, SD-048)
• John Albers (R, SD-056)
• Drew Echols (R, SD-049)
• Larry Walker (R, SD-020)
• Jason Anavitarte (R, SD-031)
• Ben Watson (R, SD-001)
• Bo Hatchett (R, SD-050)
• Timothy Bearden (R, SD-030)
• Max Burns (R, SD-023)
• Bill Cowsert (R, SD-046)
• Chuck Payne (R, SD-054)
• Jason T. Dickerson (R, SD-021)
• Carden Summers (R, SD-013)
• Steve Gooch (R, SD-051)
• Steven McNeel (R, SD-018)

1. PassedSenate voteMarch 6, 2026

   32 yea, 22 nay (1 not voting, 0 absent)

   Motion To Engross: Sb 423, Sb 515, Sb 566, Sb 568, Sb 573, Sr 838: Senate Vote #640

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 6, 2026

   32 yea, 23 nay

   Adoption Of Constitutional Amendment: Senate Vote #653

• voter ID
• election rules
• constitutional amendment
• citizenship and voting
• Georgia elections