What you probably already know: Women’s advocacy groups are gearing up for a fight as Congress prepares to again debate the SAVE America Act. The bill, officially known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, requires individuals to provide proof of U.S. citizenship to vote in federal elections. Civil rights groups argue that it creates unnecessary barriers to voting, particularly for the more than 21 million U.S. citizens without access to passports or birth certificates. Women, among other groups, are disproportionately impacted because an estimated 69 million who’ve changed their name after marriage or divorce would no longer be allowed to register to vote if they only have a birth certificate. The Act does not include proof of a name change or marriage certificate to provide proof of identity.
Why it matters: The legislation passed in the House of Representatives last April, but the House recently unveiled an amended version that it could vote on soon before sending it to the Senate. Opposition among civil rights and women’s advocacy groups has been fierce, with organizations including the League of Women voters, the National Organization for Women and The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights actively opposing the bill, with the League of Women Voters calling it “a dangerous step backwards for our democracy.” The bill was introduced by conservative Texas Republican Chip Roy, who has dismissed the concerns of women by arguing that it has female support, mostly from members of his own party.
What it means: The League of Women Voters argues that the legislation “particularly harms rural voters, voters of color, married women who have changed their last names, and other voters who have been historically marginalized who already face obstacles in accessing the ballot box.” The National Organization for Women says the Act “only saves power for those who would silence women,” adding that “the fact is, most married women cannot present a valid birth certificate under the SAVE Act, as it does not display their current name.” The National Urban League calls it “an extremist effort to dismantle democracy and disenfranchise millions of American citizens.”
What happens next: Supporters often repeat unsubstantiated claims of election fraud in defending the bill, and the amended version comes at a time when President Trump repeatedly insists that the federal government should nationalize elections, which even many Republicans oppose on constitutional grounds (the White House has said Trump is just “joking.”) Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer likens the SAVE Act to Jim Crow-type laws, adding that it “is dead on arrival in the Senate.” He says passage will lead to another prolonged government shutdown. “Let’s be clear. The SAVE Act is not about securing elections,” he says. “It is about suppressing voters.”
