Every sovereign nation has the right, and the duty, to protect the integrity of its elections. The SAVE America Act does exactly that. Sponsored by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) in the U.S. Senate and by Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) in the U.S. House, it is straightforward, commonsense legislation built around three simple principles: prove you are a citizen when you register to vote, show a photo ID when you cast a ballot, and make sure state voter rolls are clean and accurate.

Let’s start with what this bill does not do. It does not make voting harder for citizens. Contrary to the claims made by fear-mongering Democrats, the bill does not require you to bring a stack of documents to the polling place. And it does not change the fact that it is already illegal for non-citizens to vote in federal elections.

What the legislation does is close loopholes currently being exploited to vote illegally.

Under the SAVE America Act, you would prove your U.S. citizenship when you first register to vote. That’s it. The same way you prove your identity and citizenship when you get a driver’s license in most states. Bring a birth certificate or a passport when registering. Once you’re registered to vote, you don’t have to keep re-proving your citizenship every time you vote.

When you go to the polls, you would only need to show a valid photo ID. That’s not racist, it’s common sense. Americans show ID to board a plane, buy certain medicines, rent a car, and pick up a package. Voting is the sacred right that determines the direction of our country and it should be treated with at least the same seriousness.

If you’re already registered to vote, the third component of the SAVE America Act is relevant to you and is just as important: verifying and cleaning up state voter rolls. The bill requires states to run their voter registration lists through the Department of Homeland Security’s SAVE system. This system checks names against federal databases to confirm citizenship status. It has been highly successful in identifying individuals who are not citizens and therefore not eligible to vote.

Again, for clarity’s sake: non-citizen voting is already illegal. The problem is that some states make it far too easy to skirt verification requirements. The SAVE America Act ensures that no state can look the other way when it comes to enforcing federal law for federal elections.

This isn’t about partisanship; it’s about principle. American citizenship is a privilege to be guarded and cherished. Voting is the defining right of American citizenship, setting the course for the future of this country. To suggest that proving citizenship before voting is somehow unreasonable diminishes the value of that privilege.

The question before us is simple: Why would anyone oppose requiring proof that you are a U.S. citizen to vote in U.S. elections?

The SAVE America Act affirms something basic and patriotic: that American elections are for American citizens. It protects the legitimacy of every lawful vote and strengthens confidence in our elections that have been so badly deteriorated.

That’s not radical; it’s the responsible position and it’s long overdue.

Connie Hair was Chief of Staff to Congressman Louie Gohmert (Ret.) of Texas, serving 20 years as a congressional staffer on Capitol Hill. A native of Louisiana, she is the Louisiana State Director for the State Freedom Caucus Network.