83% of Americans support requiring photo ID to vote in our elections. Yet our neighboring states like Illinois and Minnesota still do not require identification at the polls.

When I served in the Wisconsin State Legislature, we passed a photo ID requirement. Liberal pundits warned it would disenfranchise voters and suppress turnout. The opposite happened, and participation increased.

Only American citizens should vote in American elections. That is not controversial. It is common sense.

That’s why the House passed the SAVE America Act this week. This legislation does two simple things. It requires proof of citizenship when registering to vote and requires photo ID when casting a ballot.

But now, the same group of fearmongers who opposed Wisconsin’s photo ID law are at it again – trying to convince you that Americans are somehow too helpless and incompetent to prove who they are. That is simply false.

You need an ID to board a plane. You need an ID to buy a beer. This week in Madison, you even needed an ID to enter a drag show held at a public high school, which should never have been held on school grounds in the first place. If identification is required there, it goes without saying that it ought to be required to cast a ballot.

The SAVE America Act builds on the original SAVE Act by pairing proof of citizenship at registration with photo ID at the polls. The United States is one of the few countries in the world that does not consistently require voter ID. Even countries like Pakistan and Iraq require identification to vote. America should not have a lower standard than they do.

The bill also provides a clear process for states to establish procedures for individuals who have changed their name, including the ability to sign an affidavit attesting to their citizenship status. Acceptable documentation includes a REAL ID, U.S. passport, military ID or record of service, a government-issued photo ID showing a U.S. birthplace, or a government-issued photo ID accompanied by a birth certificate or naturalization certificate.

Restoring confidence that our elections are free, fair, and secure is essential. The SAVE America Act is an important first step toward doing that.