The SAVE ACT, Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, has generated much debate. While supporters claim that it aims to protect and improve the voting process, critics argue that it endangers voters’ rights and democracy. In July 2024, the Save ACT passed the House Congress. The Senate will vote on it next. Here’s why this bill will be harmful to voters and democracy.
The bill will make it significantly harder, if not outright impossible, for millions of eligible voters to register or re-register to vote and have their voices heard. With the SAVE Act, legislators are proposing changes to our elections that would severely limit access to the ballot for eligible Americans, especially voters of color, rural voters, military members, and women.
The SAVE Act would increase barriers to voting by requiring every American citizen to provide very specific documents, chiefly a passport or an original copy of their birth certificate, in person when registering to vote and anytime they update their voter registration. This would be in addition to voter ID laws that the majority of states already have in place.
This bill would especially burden military voters, tribal voters, rural voters, survivors of natural disasters, and the tens of millions of married women in America who have changed their names.
o Married Women change their surnames frequently, meaning they do not possess a birth certificate that matches their current legal name and may, therefore, have trouble presenting it as valid proof of citizenship.
o Rural voters, working-class voters, voters of color, and older Americans are less likely to hold a passport or a readily accessible birth certificate, unduly harming their ability to vote under this bill.
o Members of the US Military may have trouble registering to vote using their military ID unless it is accompanied by their military service record and shows they were born in the US. Members of the military born overseas, including while their parents were serving abroad, could not use this type of ID.
o Tribal citizens would be unable to register using their Tribal ID alone. The SAVE Act would require Tribal ID to show the holder’s place of birth as the US, but most Tribal IDs do not list a place of birth.
o Survivors of natural disasters would be prevented from registering or re-registering to vote if their passport or original birth certificate was lost or damaged.
To clarify, there is absolutely no evidence of widespread non-citizen voting in federal or state elections. It is just not happening anywhere. False claims about non-citizens voting in federal elections are a pretext for undermining our access to vote, and they spread misinformation about voting.
It is already illegal for non-citizens to register and vote in federal elections. Every state also bans non-citizens from voting in state elections. Violations can lead to imprisonment and deportation.
Voters in every state are already required to affirm or verify their citizenship status when registering to vote. State election officials also have existing systems to verify voter eligibility and ensure accurate voter rolls.
Americans do not need more obstacles to voting. We need Congress to restore the Voting Rights Act and pass reforms like Same-Day Registration, protections for voters with disabilities, and funding for the Election Assistance Commission.
If legislators really want to secure and improve elections, they should invest in upgraded equipment, expanded staffing for election administrators, and training for poll workers. The SAVE Act isn’t about safeguarding elections but silencing voters. We must join together to oppose this dangerous congressional legislation and protect people’s freedom to vote. Please, contact Sen. Jarry Moran’s Hays office at 785-628-6401 and Sen. Roger Marshall’s Salina office at 785-829-9000. Their websites have an email form to use as well.
Janice Walker
Great Bend