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The SAVE Act Turns The Fundamental Right To Vote Into A Privilege For The Few
By Suzanne Barclay, Doria Hillsman, and Gayle Struble
While the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act sounds innocuous enough, it is actually an extreme piece of legislation. Under the guise of voter protection, the three components of this Act make clear that the purpose is to decrease the number of Americans who vote. The Act will make registering to vote and voting more complicated, time-consuming and expensive. Board of Election employees will be subject to legal penalties if they make an error while performing their job of registering citizens. Finally, the Act becomes effective immediately upon passage giving neither potential voters nor Board of Election employees sufficient time to meet the new requirements. The SAVE Act turns what is a fundamental right into a privilege for those with the time and resources to vote.
We know that this legislation is not a response to voter fraud, since voter fraud in the U.S. is statistically insignificant, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. In fact, every state already requires citizens to show identification when they register. States have multiple checks and balances to ensure the integrity of their elections. (That is why when President Trump filed 64 lawsuits challenging the validity of voting results, he lost every case.)
The SAVE Act will require everyone to show a passport or certified birth certificate when they register. Then, when they show up at the polls to vote, they will need to produce a government-authorized photo I.D. that proves citizenship. What may be easy enough for some, will likely be difficult or impossible for the 20+ million Americans who don’t have a passport or the 9% of Americans who do not have a driver’s license. The Center for American Progress estimates that up to 69 million married women have last names that don’t match their birth certificates. If the SAVE Act passes, these women will have to prove their identity to their Boards of Election. This will require time and money to track down documents and have them certified. Some people will not obtain their documents in time to vote in a primary or the general election.
For several categories of people, these requirements are even more daunting, if not impossible. People who were born at home, not uncommon in rural areas, will have to take additional steps to produce that documentation. Seniors for whom documents were created decades ago may find that their paperwork no longer exists, destroyed by fire, flood or human error over the years. Furthermore, voters who vote by mail will still be required to bring proof of citizenship to their Board of Elections in person – thereby negating the purpose of this voting method.
Another feature of the SAVE Act is even more disturbing. Staff at the Board of Elections could be subject to criminal penalties if they accept incorrect paperwork – even if the person is a U.S. citizen. These offices will become overwhelmed with requests for new registrations, information and assistance in overcoming these new barriers, making errors much more likely.
The immediate effective date of the SAVE Act will make it impossible for thousands of Board of Elections across the country to prepare for a sudden and dramatic increase in their workload. If this were a serious attempt to require expanded voter identification, Americans would have a reasonable time to comply, say twelve months.
For over 100 years, the League of Women Voters, a non-partisan national organization with 800 local chapters, has advocated for free and secure elections. No one should be fooled by the name or intent of the SAVE Act which is meant to discourage Americans from voting. The LWV urges the U.S. Senate to reject this bill.
Suzanne Barclay, Doria Hillsman, and Gayle Struble are Co-Presidents, LWV of Rockland County
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
