Republicans are once again pushing for a series of voter suppression bills – all variations of their infamous “SAVE Act” – which would create unnecessary obstacles for millions of eligible Americans trying to register to vote.
This voter suppression legislation would require every voter to show proof of citizenship, like a passport or original birth certificate bearing their current legal name, when registering to vote in federal elections. That might sound simple, but the reality is that millions of eligible voters don’t have these documents readily available. Because these bills would require showing this proof in person, they would eliminate online and mail-in voter registration.
If passed, these bills would disproportionately impact:
- Married women and others who have changed their last names, many of whom don’t have birth certificates matching their legal name
- Naturalized citizens who could face additional barriers and intimidation
- Trans and nonbinary people
- Rural Americans who would no longer have access to online and mail-in voting
- Military members, tribal citizens, and working-class Americans, who may not have easy access to these documents
- And others!
We’ve seen the damage done by similar laws in states like Kansas and Arizona, where thousands of eligible voters were blocked from registering. Those without citizenship status are already barred from voting in federal elections, and states have secure systems in place to verify voter eligibility. These bills aren't necessary, and they won't improve election security. They'll just make it harder for millions of Americans to vote.
Dear Senator/Representative,
I’m writing to urge you to vote NO on the SAVE Act, the MEGA Act, or any similar bill that attacks our voting rights.
These bills’ names are misleading, as they aren't about election security – they're a blatant attempt to create unnecessary barriers to voting. These bills would require every voter to present in-person proof of citizenship, such as a passport or an original birth certificate, to register or update their registration. But millions of Americans don’t have easy access to these documents, which means these bills would block eligible voters – especially seniors, military members, tribal citizens, rural Americans, trans and nonbinary people, and married people (disproportionately women) who’ve changed their last name.
Additionally, these bills would essentially eliminate online and mail-in voter registration, forcing everyone to register in person, no matter their circumstances. This would make it even harder for people to participate in our democracy.
There are already strict federal and state laws preventing anyone who’s not a citizen from voting in any elections, and states have secure systems in place to verify voter eligibility. These bills are completely unnecessary – they do nothing to enhance election security and only serve as a deliberate attempt to suppress votes.
I urge you to vote NO on any bills that would disenfranchise Americans.