Protect the Right to Vote for Millions of Americans: Oppose the SAVE Act

Loading....

Nationwide Sangat: We need your help to stop the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act (H.R.22), a misleadingly-named bill in the U.S. Congress that would impose serious barriers to voter registration and registration renewal, potentially preventing millions of Americans from exercising their right to vote.

The SAVE Act would require in-person documentary proof of citizenship, such as a passport or birth certificate, to register to vote or update one’s voter registration. This would mean that voter registration online or via mail would be effectively impossible, and that in-person efforts to register or update your registration would take longer and require more documents. These new requirements would also be especially problematic for several groups—including potentially Sikhs—because any differences in legal names on the documents could be grounds for denying voter registration.

There is no doubt that election integrity is important, but the SAVE Act is not a serious or necessary effort to safeguard our elections. Federal law already ensures that only U.S. citizens can vote; voting by noncitizens is illegal, and there is no evidence that noncitizens do vote in any significant numbers. Use the form below to tell your elected officials in the U.S. Congress (your member of the House of Representatives and your two Senators) to oppose the SAVE Act.

To do this, we just need a few pieces of information.

Email Address*

First Name*

Last Name*

Address, line 1*

City*

State*

Zip Code*

I'd like to receive updates from this organization

We will never share your email address. Ever.

Take Action

This form is powered by the Sikh Coalition.

Take Action

Your Representative and Senators in the U.S. Congress

Subject: Protect the Right to Vote for Millions of Americans: Oppose the SAVE Act

Message:

As a member of the Sikh American community, I am writing to you to urge you to vote “no” on the so-called Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act (H.R. 22). This bill will impose restrictive and unnecessary barriers to voter registration and registration renewal, and potentially prevent millions of Americans from exercising their right to vote.

While there is no doubt that election integrity is important, federal law already ensures that voter registration is only available to U.S. citizens and that noncitizens cannot vote; no evidence supports claims of widespread noncitizen voting. Shamefully disguised as an attempt to ensure election integrity, the SAVE Act risks cutting off access to the polls for millions of eligible voters.

The SAVE Act’s requirement of in-person documentary proof of citizenship—such as a passport or birth certificate—to register to vote or update one’s voter registration would effectively end mail-in and online voter registration systems. This directly undermines the ability of states to control their own voter registration processes, despite the fact that decentralized and locally-controlled elections are key to making American elections uniquely secure. The requirement would also be particularly burdensome on several groups, including:

* Millions of American women who have taken their spouses names, and do not have a birth certificate matching their legal name;
* Members of the military, who have to move (and thus renew their voter registration) more often than civilians, and would not be able to use their military ID alone to prove their citizenship;
* Americans with household incomes below $50,000, who are less likely to have a passport;
* Voters of color, who are disproportionately likely to lack access to documentary proof of citizenship; and
* Members of the Sikh community and others whose identity documents are more likely to have mismatching names for cultural reasons, making it more difficult to readily access documentary proof of citizenship.

The right to vote is essential among the most sacredly-held rights in any democracy. As your constituent, I expect you to honor the legacy of those who have fought for every American’s right to cast their ballot by voting “no” on the SAVE Act.

Checkout

Sorry! This campaign is for those located in the United States only.