SAVE America Act debate: Karl challenges Warner on Virginia voter ID

ABC News anchor Jonathan Karl weighed in on Sunday on whether Virginia should require photo identification to vote, including Sen. He challenged Mark Warner, D-Va., and the pair discussed Democrats’ opposition to the SAVE America Act.

Karl began by asking Warner whether his party should support national photo ID requirements for voter registration and voting, citing broad bipartisan public support for the policy.

“I understand now that you and every other Democrat opposed the so-called SAVE America Act. And there are a lot of reasons you put forward. But let me ask you a very narrow question about the photo ID issue, which is that registering to vote requires photo ID to vote. Is that something Democrats should stand behind?” Karl asked about “This Week.”

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Karl then cited statistics on support for the SAVE America Act, and Warner pointed to rules in his home state and began recounting his own experience before the ABC News anchor interrupted him.

“You know what? In Virginia, we have voter ID and photo ID,” Warner said.

“Actually, that’s not the case,” Karl said. “So I’m a Virginia voter. You don’t have to show photo ID in Virginia. There are a variety of things you can show for ID, and if you don’t show one of those things, you can sign an affidavit that says:”

“You can sign an affidavit,” Warner said.

Karl said there was no need for an affidavit.

“These become ballots that can be challenged if you want to challenge them later. But…we do have voter IDs one way or another,” Warner said.

Warner argued that Virginia has “voter ID of one form or another,” even though the state allows non-photographic documentation. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Under Virginia lawElection officials must ask voters for identification in person, but acceptable forms include voter certification documents, utility bills, bank statements, government checks and paychecks, which do not need to include a photo. A voter who does not have acceptable identification may sign an Identity Verification Affidavit and vote normally, under severe penalties. Voters who do not provide both must cast a provisional ballot.

Virginia’s voter registration application Applicants are asked to confirm their citizenship and provide a Social Security number if they have one, but photo identification is not required.

When Karl asked if identification would become a national standard, Warner said he could support government-issued identification if certified documents were applied the same way, but argued that broader legislation would restrict voting.

The SAVE America Act would require proof of citizenship and photo identification to register to vote in federal elections. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)

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“It would be nice if you could show me any photo with a government stamp,” Warner said. “If you’re going to have a set of IDs, let’s make it public as long as it comes from an official point, but it’s not about voter ID. The Registration Act is about voter disenfranchisement.”

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2025 Pew Research Center survey It found that 83 percent of Americans favor requiring government-issued photo identification to vote, including 71 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents and 95 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents.

The SAVE America Act would require documentary proof of citizenship to register for federal elections, appropriate photo identification before voting, and require states to remove non-citizens from voter rolls. The House first passed it in February by a score of 218-213, with Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, joining the Republicans.