Liberals are raising major alarms about this GOP move.
The SAVE Act, reintroduced by Representative Chip Roy of Texas, aims to strengthen voter eligibility laws by requiring all individuals registering to vote to provide in-person proof of U.S. citizenship. While the intent of the bill is to safeguard the integrity of elections and ensure only U.S. citizens are voting, its impact could disproportionately affect married women and others who have changed their legal names.
One of the central provisions of the SAVE Act is the requirement to present documentation that matches the name on one’s birth certificate. This becomes a major issue for the estimated 69 million married women in the United States who have legally changed their names after marriage. According to the Center for American Progress, these women may find themselves unable to register to vote if they do not possess other forms of accepted documentation, such as a passport.
For many Americans, a passport is not an option. Roughly 146 million people in the U.S. do not have one, and this could create a significant barrier for citizens whose legal name no longer matches the name on their birth certificate. The SAVE Act does list several acceptable forms of identification, such as a passport, military ID, and certain tribal identification cards. However, many of these documents still require a birth certificate for verification.
While the SAVE Act is intended to prevent noncitizens from casting votes, this already happens in a very limited manner, with voter fraud being a rare occurrence in the U.S. A 2024 audit in Georgia revealed that out of 8.4 million registered voters, only 20 noncitizens attempted to vote. This insignificant number demonstrates that voter fraud by noncitizens is a minimal problem and suggests that the more pressing issue might be the unintended consequence of making it harder for millions of citizens to register to vote.
Supporters of the bill argue that it’s necessary to safeguard election integrity, with Representative Roy claiming that the legislation is popular among the American public. However, critics argue that the SAVE Act will harm citizens, particularly married women, young people, the elderly, and people of color, all of whom are more likely to struggle with obtaining the required documentation. The Campaign Legal Center has pointed out that more than 21 million Americans may be unable to meet the new documentation requirements, potentially disenfranchising a large portion of the population.
The bill, while well-intentioned, could have serious consequences for voter accessibility. With strict laws already in place to prevent noncitizens from voting, many believe that additional restrictions under the SAVE Act will only serve to make it more difficult for Americans to exercise their right to vote. As the bill moves through Congress, it’s crucial to consider the balance between ensuring election security and protecting the fundamental right to vote for all eligible citizens.
Ultimately, while election integrity should remain a top priority, the ramifications of the SAVE Act could disproportionately affect Republican-leaning states, which have a higher number of voters who lack passports. With such a minimal risk of noncitizen voting and the severe consequences for citizens trying to register, it’s vital that lawmakers approach this issue carefully to avoid disenfranchising Americans.