Card 9: The Truth About the SAVE Act

The Truth About the SAVE Act:
How It Affects Our Voting Rights

The United States Constitution guarantees our right to vote. 

The Fifteenth Amendment states: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” 

The Nineteenth Amendment states: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” 

• The House of Representatives passed the “SAVE Act” to prevent non-citizen voting. But current laws already make it a crime for non-citizens to vote in federal and state elections, and illegal voting by non-citizens is vanishingly rare.
• SAVE threatens the voting rights of U.S. citizens by requiring anyone registering to vote or changing their registration to provide proof of citizenship, such as a certified birth certificate, a passport, or naturalization documents.
• Many Americans lack these documents and would find it difficult to obtain them. Getting a birth certificate or a passport can be too expensive for some.
• The SAVE Act requires that a person’s last name match the last name on their birth certificate. Millions of people change their names through marriage or divorce, adoption, taking a stepparent’s name, or simply by choice.
• Additional documents may be needed for voter registration; the bill does not specify which ones. 
• SAVE also requires proof of identity in person. Many states allow people to register through the DMV, by mail, at voter registration drives, or online, but in-person registration is not practical for millions of Americans.

SAVE Effectively Suppresses Voter Registration:

• by forcing individuals in some rural regions to travel hundreds of miles; 
• by requiring people to miss work to appear in person;
• for elderly or disabled individuals who might be unable to appear in person.

SAVE makes it a federal crime, punishable by up to five years in prison, for election officials to register anyone who does not present acceptable proof of citizenship. This will give officials broad powers—and powerful incentive—to reject many potential voters. 

Empowerment Action:
What We Can Do 

Sixty Senate votes are required for passage.

Contact your Senators and let them know you oppose the SAVE Act and any other voter suppression efforts. All Senators need to be contacted. Use this link to find yours:

https://www.270towin.com/elected-officials