The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which has been reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, would require all Americans to prove their citizenship status by presenting documentation—in person—when registering to vote or updating their voter registration information. Specifically, the legislation would require the vast majority of Americans to rely on either 1) a passport or 2) a birth certificate in combination with a government-issued photo ID to prove their citizenship. While this may sound easy for many Americans, the reality is that more than 140 million American citizens do not possess a passport, as many as 69 million women who have taken their spouse’s name do not have a birth certificate matching their legal name, and millions of transgender Americans do not possess these documents reflecting the name they use.
Additionally, the in-person requirements of the bill would mean accessible voter registration systems that tens of millions of citizens, including 60 million rural Americans, rely on every election cycle would no longer be available. The SAVE Act would force some rural Americans to drive up to eight hours round trip, and even cross state lines, just to update their voter registration information.
Ahead of the expected vote on the SAVE Act the week of March 31, please join the Center for American Progress for a virtual event to hear from CAP experts about their work on the SAVE Act, how the legislation would affect tens of millions of Americans, and what you can do to help prevent its passage. These experts will take your questions following their presentations.
