On Jan. 20, 2025, Donald Trump was sworn in as the President of the United States for the second time in his political career. Since then, his administration has been violating the rights of numerous identities and backgrounds. For instance, the Supreme Court sided with Trump by upholding his executive order that prohibits transgender people from identifying their sex as “X” on their passports. Furthermore, Trump and the government enforced barbaric executive orders targeting the immigrant population. Because of these executive orders, hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants are being deported, and some are sent to prison. Now, Trump and his administration are trying to shatter the voting rights of an immense number of populations by attempting to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE).
It’s honestly ridiculous that Trump’s calling this the SAVE Act, given it won’t save anyone! The only thing the SAVE Act will do is ruin the U.S.’s reputation as a democracy, as well as rupture the voting rights of many identity groups, such as women and people of color. If this act gets passed, it’s going to have a disastrous effect on our country.
What’s The SAVE Act?
The SAVE Act is a voting rights act that will require registered voters to present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship in order to vote in federal elections. Documents that satisfy the requirement include passports and birth certificates. Other documentation, such as REAL IDs, tribal IDs, and military IDs, won’t be accepted.
The SAVE Act passed through the House on Feb. 11. Right now, it’s being debated in the Senate. This isn’t the first time Trump has tried passing the SAVE Act. Last year, he introduced the act, however the attempt failed due to public opposition.
Why Are They Trying to Enforce It?
The context of the administration and the atrocious things it’s done can give us a clue on why they’re trying to make the SAVE Act a reality.
Since the beginning of the administration, Trump has signed executive orders that target the rights of minority groups. The Supreme Court’s upholding of Trump’s executive order allowing only two sexes on passports is an example of an action that the Trump administration has taken to damage the rights of a minority community. Trump has also sided with reverse discrimination by declaring that white people are being unfairly treated due to programs such as affirmative action, further exemplifying the loathing he has for minority communities.
It’s obvious that Trump wants to sign it because he wants to further discriminate against minority communities, which are the main group that’ll be impacted by the SAVE Act. These innocent people have faced enough hardship in their lives, yet the Trump administration hasn’t had enough with them.
How Will The SAVE Act Impact Us?
If the SAVE Act gets passed, it’ll be a dumpster fire. This isn’t one of Trump’s executive orders where only one population is targeted. If the Senate passes the SAVE Act, everybody will be affected. However, some groups like the ones listed below will face a crueler blow than others.
1. Married women
According to the Pew Research Center, 84% of women change their surname when they get married. It may not sound problematic at first, but if married women have to show proof of U.S. citizenship by presenting their birth certificate or passport, then it’s going to be an issue.
If a married woman doesn’t have a passport, then they’ll have to present their birth certificate, which will be a problem since the birth certificate won’t have their married surname on it. And if a married woman has a passport but got it prior to getting married, then they’re going to have to get a new passport before registering to vote. Getting a new passport costs money and time, and for married women who can’t afford a passport or don’t have the time to get one, they may lose their ability to vote at the next election if the SAVE Act gets passed.
2. People of color
People of color will face a significant impact if the SAVE Act gets passed. Compared to white citizens, citizens of color are three times more likely to not have the documentation needed to vote, especially passports. Nearly half of American adults don’t have a passport, and two-thirds of African American adults don’t have one.
People of color have faced immense barriers due to racism, nationalism, and harsh historic eras such as Jim Crow. They’ve also spent over half the U.S.’ existence being barred from voting. The fact that the government’s trying to pass a law that’ll once again prevent them from voting is incredibly immoral.
3. People impacted by natural disasters
Every year, millions of Americans are displaced by natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, and wildfires. People who are impacted by these disasters are at risk of not being able to vote because if they lose their documentation from the disaster, then they’re going to have to go through the labor of replacing all of it, which can cost money. If they can’t afford to replace all their documentation due to the disaster, then they’ll lose their ability to vote.
4. People from low-income backgrounds
Citizens who live in poverty or in low-income households will especially be impacted by the SAVE Act. If the SAVE Act gets passed, and someone doesn’t have a passport, a birth certificate, or any other acceptable documentation, then they’re going to have to pay fees in order to get the documentation needed to vote. This will be a hindrance for people who have low incomes since they may not be able to afford to get a passport or other acceptable documentation. Passports cost $130 to $160, and birth certificates cost roughly $30. For someone who has little money, these costs can be difficult.
What Should You Take Away?
Don’t let the SAVE Act get passed! It sounds like a savior, but all it is is just another way for the Trump administration to trample on the rights of Americans. If the SAVE Act becomes a reality, millions of Americans will lose their ability to vote. That loss will create biased election results in which certain candidates have an unfair advantage.
The U.S. declared independence for a reason. It declared independence so its civilians can be free from tyranny! This isn’t what George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, or any of the other Founding Fathers would’ve wanted. They wouldn’t want millions of Americans to have their voting rights stripped from them. The U.S. is a democracy for a reason: so that people can be free. Let’s restore that democracy! Let’s stop Trump and the government from passing the SAVE Act!