Passing in the House of Representatives on February 11th, the SAVE America Act was brought up to the Senate on March 17th and began the lengthy, ongoing debates that have led the government into a partial shutdown. The bill features stricter voter identification requirements, such as document-oriented proof of citizenship for registration to vote and photo identification when voting in federal elections. In addition, the Senate voted on March 26th to add amendment #4732 to the bill, which would have included requiring photo identification in order to cast a ballot in person and to end mail-in voting, with only some exceptions. This amendment, however, did not successfully pass. The Senate even invoked cloture, the means to bring debate to an end, but this failed by a vote of 53-47. As of now, the fate of the bill remains up in the air.
The bill additionally requires the removal of undocumented individuals from existing voter registrations and the prevention of such individuals from voting in any form of election in the future. It would also be allowed for officials who do not comply with the removal of individuals of undocumented status to be sued. It is of note that it is already illegal for undocumented individuals to vote in American elections and that there are already requirements in place intended to prevent people of undocumented status from voting in elections, such as the requirement of a person’s social security number on voter registration applications, with further requirements even being issued by some states. The aspect of having undocumented persons being prevented from voting in the American elections has been lengthily emphasized by current President Donald Trump.
In the event of a name discrepancy, individuals must find some other form of documentation in order to prove their United States citizenship. This particular aspect of the bill has been criticized, especially due to the difficulty it may pose to people who have undergone name changes for whatever reason, especially women who have changed their surname after marriage. As a significant majority of women take their spouse’s surname in heterosexual marriages, married women would have to display further documentation in order to vote, potentially impacting their decision to vote. Furthering this, millions of American citizens do not possess identification that could be used to allow them to vote, and acquiring such identification, such as a Real ID, requires money, which is stated as a potentially impactful factor in the voting of low-income persons.
Thus far, people who share left-wing politics are firmly against the passing of this bill, citing existing prohibitions on undocumented people voting and the barriers the bill places on voting for millions of Americans. People who are of right-wing political persuasion, however, emphasize the need for additional barriers that prevent ineligible people from voting in American elections, especially looking for the protection of election integrity and the prevention of any form of voter fraud. As the Senate finishes its annual spring recess, returning on April 13th, the Senate is expected to continue its intense debates on the SAVE Act. The controversial bill’s fate is unknown as of now, but no Senator appears to be changing their beliefs on the bill in any manner presently—as Americans look to their government for solutions and for progress, it may be that there shall be none in sight.
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