House Republicans have passed a bill that requires Americans to prove their citizenship to register and re-register to vote. The legislation, formally titled the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, would also require states to purge their voter rolls.
The bill passed with a 220-208 vote. Four Democrats sided with Republicans. — Reps. Ed Case (Hawaii), Henry Cuellar (Texas), Jared Golden (Maine), and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Washington).
Lawmakers who support the bill argue that making voters prove their citizenship is necessary to prevent migrants from voting in elections.
“There is nothing more sacred under the Constitution than ensuring that the people are able to have the voice in the election of the people that represent them in Washington, and throughout the country,” said Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), one of the bill’s sponsors.
He added, “Once that is undermined, then people lose faith in the very institutions upon which this is built. This legislation is designed to restore that faith, to save our elections, to save election integrity.”
However, opponents argue House republicans are looking for an issue because it’s already illegal for noncitizens to vote.
Rep. Joseph Morelle, a Democrat representing New York, says if passed, voting will be harder for vulnerable communities such as senior citizens, who are unlikely to have the needed documents.
“Under the SAVE Act, most Americans would be unable to register to vote using their Real ID. Further, under the SAVE Act, almost 70 million American women will be unable to register to vote using their birth certificate simply because they changed their name upon marriage,” Morelle said.
Morelle also said the SAVE Act would come with a heavy price tag for Americans because while passports can be used to register to vote, they cost $130, and only half of Americans have one.
Proving Citizenship: What The Numbers Say About Noncitizens Voting
The data on migrants’ voting clashes with SAVE Act supporters. One study by the Brennan Center for Justice found 30 suspected cases (not confirmed cases) of noncitizens voting out of 23.5 million votes cast, which is roughly 0.0001 percent.
Experts from the Cato Institute say the claims are the “most frequent and less serious criticisms” of migration.
However, data supports the possibility that the SAVE Act could cause voters to be caught in voting limbo. States that have passed similar legislation have had a tough time implementing it.
In Kansas, more than 22,000 people were suspended from voter rolls after failing to submit proof of citizenship. In Arizona, state election leasers had an issue updating their voter rolls with proof of citizenship, impacting more than 200,000 residents, as The Hill reported.
The bill now goes to the Senate, where, even with a GOP majority, it would need to overcome a Democratic filibuster.
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