On April 10, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the SAVE Act bill, with every Republican representative plus four Democratic representatives all in favor of it. If you’ve been on the internet at all since then, you’ll know this vote caused quite a stir. But what is the SAVE Act, and why do people feel so strongly about it?
The SAVE Act (which stands for Safeguard American Voter Eligibility) is a bill that was sponsored by multiple Republican representatives with the stated intent of safeguarding the election system and weeding out noncitizen voters. However, the ultra-harsh constraints that the act would impose on voter registration and necessary documentation to vote could cut the current eligible voting population in the U.S. in half, while disproportionately targeting women, racial minorities, and college students.
Much of the criticism about the bill has less to do with its surface goal of eliminating voter fraud (which there are already plenty of state and federal laws working to prevent) and more to do with how it will make registering to vote and actually voting harder for many Americans. While voter registration requirements vary from state to state, as of now, all that most states require to vote is to preregister with a valid photo identification (such as a driver’s license or school ID) at your local county election office. However, the SAVE Act would drastically complicate that process by eliminating online and mail-in registration forms, and requiring voters to provide a birth certificate or passport at the time of registration.
While it’s yet to be voted on in the Senate, here’s what to know about the SAVE Act, and what you can do about it.
How would the SAVE Act impact college students?
The SAVE Act’s stringent documentation requirements could complicate registrations for nearly all college students, especially those studying outside of their home state. Young voters are less likely to have immediate access to the documents that the SAVE Act requires, (I mean, do you have your birth certificate with you at school?) and many college students — especially those from lower income backgrounds — do not have passports.
Even if you have the necessary documents, the SAVE Act will likely cost you more time and money to vote. By eliminating mail-in and online registration, the bill would require out-of-state college students who wish to vote in their home state to travel home to register — something that could cost quite a lot of time and money based on where you’re located. Even if you wish to vote in the state where you attend college, you’ll still have to find transportation to go present your documents in person at an election office, or give your birth certificate or passport to an individual at a voter registration drive (something many people might not feel comfortable doing).
Who else would be impacted by the SAVE Act?
In addition to college students, the SAVE Act poses threats to other groups including women and racial minorities. There have already been issues for married women who have changed their surnames being allowed to vote in states that have passed similar legislation to the SAVE Act, like a New Hampshire woman who had to return to her polling place multiple times and eventually bring her marriage license to prove her identity. While she was ultimately able to vote, the hurdles that such a bill creates will likely keep many women from voting, as many travel from far and wide to vote and have jobs and other responsibilities to return to. Apply this one situation to the 80% of women in the U.S. who change their name after marriage, and it will surely have a significant effect on half of the country’s voting population. Additionally, transgender people who’ve legally changed their names to reflect their identities will also be kept from registering, a scary reality for a group that’s already been a target of President Donald Trump’s administration.
Beyond the birth certificate issue, requiring a passport to register still isolates a great number of Americans, many of them belonging to racial minority groups and lower income levels. Approximately 146 million American citizens do not have a valid U.S. passport (half of all citizens eligible to vote). Passport ownership is also correlated with factors like income, education level, and race — only one in five Americans with a household income below $50,000 have valid passports, and two-thirds of Black Americans don’t have a valid passport. The SAVE Act will undeniably make voting more difficult for these groups and others, adding another barrier on top of existing ones such as the transportation and time off of work often needed to register and vote.
What are the next steps for the SAVE Act?
As of April 10, the SAVE Act has only passed in the House of Representatives, and will need to pass in the Senate (and then be signed by Trump, who has already expressed his support for it) to be codified into law. Members of Congress have voiced their opposition to the bill, including House Representative Joe Morelle, a democrat from New York. “There’s no doubt that women, military members, and people of color will be disproportionately impacted,” said Morelle in a press release. “The fight to stop this bill — to protect Americans’ sacred right to vote — is not over.”Â
If you’re feeling concerned or upset about how the SAVE Act might impact you or your community, the most effective way to make your voice heard is to call your senators, let them know how you feel about the bill, and ask them to vote no on the SAVE Act when it hits the Senate floor. The right to vote is something that American women, Black folks, and other minorities have fought to achieve and maintain for centuries throughout history — and it’s a right that many people are ready to continue defending.Â