The SAVE Act (Safeguard American Voters Eligibility Act) creates barriers to register to vote. It will greatly impact women, low-income voters and new voters. The SAVE act is not based on facts. There is no evidence of widespread non-citizen voting affecting elections. There is already a law prohibiting non-citizens from voting. This act requires voters to submit documentary proof of citizenship in person when registering to vote. The League of Women Voters and similar groups drives to register voters will no longer be allowed. Americans would not be able to register to vote by mail or online. Access to the ballot is a keystone of our democracy.

Election workers can determine whether a voter is eligible to vote using state and federal data including citizenship data from the Department of Homeland Security, data from the Social Security Administration, death data, U.S. Post Office change of Address data. Now anyone registering to vote provides their driver’s license number or the last digits of their social security to election officials and they can verify the voter’s identity and determine their eligibility to vote.

The SAVE Act passed the U.S House of Representative and is headed for a Senate vote. Representative Jack Bergman voted in support of this bill. Michigan Representative Karl Bohnak sponsored HJR B 2025, the Michigan version of the SAVE ACT. These bills are a blatant effort to prevent eligible voters from registering and voting. The promoters of the SAVE Act are using misinformation, dis information and fear mongering. Don’t be fooled. These efforts by Bergman and Bohnak disregard the will of the people demonstrated in 2022 by the overwhelming vote in support of Prop 22 -2 to improve and increase access to the ballot. Michigan voters voted Yes 2,586,255 ( 59.99% )and 1,725,110 voted no (40%).

It is urgent. The Senate must derail this legislation. Married women, divorced women who changed their name may not use their birth certificate as proof of citizenship. Real ID’s, a government issued driver’s license would not work as proof of citizenship nor would tribal ID’ s or military ID’s satisfy the bill’s requirement. It will be impossible to mail in registration. The Save Act would not allow online voter registration. A valid passport would be needed. You must show up in person with this documentation. This bill and HJR B 2025 would present a burden to military voters , tribal voters, rural voters , natural disaster survivors, voters with low incomes and married women who have changed their name.

Call Senator Gary Peters 202 224 6221 and Senator Elissa Slotkin 202 224 4822. Urge them to vote NO on the SAVE Act. If you have relatives and friends in other states, urge them to call their senators with the same request to VOTE NO on the SAVE Act.

Congress must uphold its oath to support and defend the Constitution. It is our duty and our legislator’s duty to protect our democracy from those who try to undermine it.