Following a narrow House vote, voting rights advocates are warning that a Republican-backed election bill is a dangerous step for the country, taking it back to the early 20th century.
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The House approved the SAVE America Act on Wednesday (Feb. 11) by a 218–213 vote with all Republicans voting in favor and only one Democrat joining them, according to USA Today. The legislation would require documented proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections, disenfranchising voters of all races and ages, but disproportionately affecting women, Black and Hispanic people, and young voters.
The proposal is the latest Republican effort that lines up with Trump’s false claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election, which have been repeatedly debunked.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) described the bill as part of a broader effort to require documented proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration. However, opponents argue the proposal is an example of political gaslighting that has nothing to do with protecting election integrity and everything to do with voter suppression.
Demetria McCain, director of policy at the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund, called the bill “disingenuous” and “discriminatory.”
“The SAVE America Act is not about protecting our elections — it’s about disguising voter suppression techniques aimed at disenfranchising Black voters as election security,” McCain said in a press release.
If passed by the Senate, the legislation would introduce several new federal voting requirements, including in-person proof of citizenship when registering to vote, a photo ID requirement at polling places and stricter rules for mail-in voting, according to USA Today.
Proof of Citizenship
Under the proposal, voters would need to show proof of citizenship in person when registering to vote in federal elections, according to the outlet. However, the Legal Defense Fund reported that only six percent of current voters registered in person.
The requirement is especially problematic for married women whose current legal names may differ from those on older documents, such as birth certificates or passports. According to the Pew Research Center, eight out of ten women in opposite-sex marriages take their husband’s surname.
Issues like access complicate the situation, since about half of the nation’s population doesn’t even have a passport, according to the Brennan Center.
Photo ID at the Polls
The SAVE America Act would also require voters to present an approved photo ID to cast a ballot in federal elections. This applies to both in-person voting and mail-in applications, USA Today reported.
The outlet noted that experts say young voters and voters of color face greater challenges under stricter identification requirements. A study from the University of Maryland found that Black and Hispanic Americans are less likely than white Americans to have a current driver’s license, making it harder for them to meet photo ID requirements, USA Today indicated.
Critics warn that these registration requirements may decrease turnout in already underrepresented communities.
Mail-In Voting
In addition to in-person requirements, the legislation would tighten rules for mail-in voting. According to USA Today, the Save America Act would require voters to submit a copy of their identification both when requesting an absentee ballot and when returning it.
Voting rights advocates argue the additional steps would increase the likelihood of ballots being rejected for technical errors and could discourage participation, particularly among elderly voters, rural residents and people with disabilities, according to the outlet.
According to USA Today, the bill must get 60 votes to pass the Senate.
McCain called upon the Senate to reject the SAVE America Act. “The authoritarianism woven into this bill has no place in our elections,” she said in the organization’s press release.
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