This Senate Democrat wants voter ID for his campaign events — but not federal elections

Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., asked attendees at a campaign event Saturday to show government-issued photo ID, even while opposing similar standards for voters in federal elections.

Email confirmation information for an Ossoff rally in Atlanta detailed that "a matching government-issued ID will be verified against the RSVP list by name to enter."

Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., who is running against Ossoff for a Senate seat in 2026, blasted what he called a double standard.

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"Typical Jon Ossoff to say one thing and do another. It’s ridiculous that Jon Ossoff would require a government ID to listen to him speak about why you shouldn’t need a government ID to vote," Collins said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Ossoff’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

In the wake of election security concerns highlighted by President Donald Trump in previous years, Republicans across Congress have made demands for tighter voter registration standards.

Most recently, lawmakers led by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., have called for the passage of the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act.

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In its current form, the SAVE Act would embed proof of citizenship requirements into existing voter registration pathways and require states to conduct stricter audits of their voter rolls. The bill also defines documentary proof of U.S. citizenship and links it to some form of photo ID.

It is illegal for noncitizens to participate in federal elections, although Republicans maintain that the standard is applied inconsistently, leading to easily exploitable election vulnerabilities. 

Democrats like Ossoff have blasted the legislation, arguing it would only make it harder for people with limited access to photo ID to participate in elections.

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"This is a nakedly partisan, totally unworkable, bad-faith bill cynically intended to disenfranchise millions of eligible voters," Ossoff said in a statement on the SAVE Act as the bill made its way through the House of Representatives last year.

An earlier version of the SAVE already passed the House in April 2025, attracting bipartisan support in a 216-208 vote. Four Democrats joined Republicans to pass the bill.

Despite Ossoff's previous opposition to the SAVE Act, his campaign event framed the requirement for photo ID as a security measure.

"Due to security requirements … be ready to show ID that matches our RSVP list and these arrival instructions (printed or on your phone)," the campaign event’s confirmation email said.

The House Rules Committee, the final gatekeeper before most legislation reaches the chamber floor, is expected to consider an updated version of the SAVE Act in the House of Representatives Monday.