SAVE FAQ

SAVE FAQ:

More than half of American citizens - 150 million citizens - do not have a passport, and elderly Americans are one of the demographic groups least likely to have a passport.
Every American would be impacted by the strict documentary requirements. This would require all of us to register in-person every time we update our voter registration, whether we move - or are changing political party.
If you do not have your birth certificate or a passport readily accessible, you may need to pay to acquire these documents, and go to various offices to acquire the documentation. This could take weeks.
More than half of American citizens - 150 million citizens - do not have a passport, and elderly Americans are one of the demographic groups least likely to have a passport.

How many people could be potentially disenfranchised as a result of this legislation?

More than half of American citizens - 150 million citizens - do not have a passport, and elderly Americans are one of the demographic groups least likely to have a passport.
Many other Americans do not have readily available access to their birth certificates, including millions of women who do not have birth certificates with their current legal name. Further, birth certificates are needed for passport validation. However, there is not a regulated cost for them, and many Americans cannot afford this cost.

Government-issued driver’s licenses—including REAL IDs—as well as military or tribal IDs do not satisfy the bill’s requirements.
REAL IDs would not work. The legislation states that “a form of identification issued consistent with the requirements of the REAL ID Act of 2005 that indicates the applicant is a citizen of the United States” can be used.
Although states designate REAL ID compliance on driver’s licenses with a marking such as a gold or black star, that alone would not indicate U.S. citizenship. People who are legal residents but not citizens also can obtain a REAL ID.
States are currently not required to label IDs with a “citizen” mark, although a handful of states (Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont and Washington) offer a citizen-only REAL ID alternative that might meet SAVE Act requirements.

It’s already illegal for non-citizens to cast a ballot in federal elections, and states have secure systems in place to prevent noncitizens from voting. Those who violate the law already face severe penalties.

Election officials already use extensive state and federal data to verify an individual’s eligibility to cast a ballot and Americans must already provide either the last four digits of their social security number or driver’s license number when registering to vote to enable officials to verify their identity and eligibility.

There is no proof anywhere of widespread voter fraud in this country, and in fact, Trump’s own Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity was disbanded because it wasn’t able to find any.

Surveys also show that eight in ten married women have changed their surname, meaning they do not possess a birth certificate that matches their current legal name and therefore could not present it as valid proof of citizenship

In practice, the SAVE Act would upend online voter registration, a practice in 42 states, make it impossible for Americans to register to vote by mail, and put an end to voter registration drives nationwide. The only feasible way for every single American citizen to register to vote or update their registration, including for an address or party change – would be to do so in person.

Kansas imposed a proof-of-citizenship requirement over a decade that ended up blocking the voter registrations of more than 31,000 U.S. citizens who were otherwise eligible to vote. That was 12% of everyone seeking to register in Kansas for the first time.

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