Mornin’ DFW,
You might have seen that the SAVE Act passed in the US House last week. Sponsored by Texas Attorney General candidate and Austin Congressman Chip Roy, the bill is presented as a way to safeguard our elections by requiring people registering to vote to provide proof of US citizenship. But if it passes in the US Senate and is signed by the president, the bill would actually make it harder for many Americans to vote.
What are the key stipulations of the bill, and who would be impacted?
🚩 Noncitizens can apply and receive state-issued IDs, meaning a standard driver’s license would not be enough to register to vote.
For many voters, this means a passport/birth certificate combo will be necessary to vote. Student IDs will not be accepted, and only Tribal IDs with an expiration date can be used. (Many don’t have one.)
Approximately 136 million Americans don’t have a passport. It would cost about $165 for a first-time passport. In Dallas County, for example, birth certificates cost $23 and another $15-$25 if you need to amend your name.
For young, low-income Americans who won’t have the time or funds to obtain these documents, this creates a major roadblock. (Remember, more than half of Americans live paycheck to paycheck.)
🚩 It would require your passport to match your birth certificate.
This creates a problem for married women who have their maiden name on their birth certificate and their married name on their passport. About 69 million American women don’t have their married name on their birth certificates. This would also be an issue for trans folks who use a different name and gender on their passport than the ones assigned to them at birth.
🚩 The bill would require proof of residence.
People who have just moved to a new state and have not gotten a new driver’s license (or were hoping to delay costs by waiting for their current one to expire) will be denied the right to vote.
If passed, when would these requirements start?
This bill would take effect immediately.
What is this really about?
The US doesn’t have a huge problem with noncitizens voting. Even the far-right Heritage Foundation cites only 68 noncitizen voter fraud cases since the ’80s. Critics argue the bill amounts to voter suppression, saying it would impose immediate policy changes that could disproportionately affect people with limited time or financial resources ahead of the November elections. It’s not feeling free and fair to me. But what do you think? Please read the SAVE Act for yourself.
