In what has become a watershed moment in voting rights advocacy, New York Attorney General Letitia James, along with a coalition of 17 other state attorneys general, has urged Congress to halt the passage of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act.
The legislation proposes additional requirements for proving citizenship when registering to vote, which these top legal officials believe could significantly disenfranchise voters.
According to a press release from Attorney General James, the SAVE Act seeks to amend the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) by imposing new barriers that could affect millions of legitimate voters, particularly those of color, low-income individuals, and other vulnerable populations.
As the collective points out, the SAVE Act could have serious consequences for those who are less prepared to jump through bureaucratic hoops. “The right to vote is the very foundation of our democracy, but with this bill, Congress is threatening that right for millions of eligible voters,” Attorney General James stated in a press release.
The Act requires documents such as passports or birth certificates, which may not reflect current names, jeopardizing the franchise of married women and transgender people.
Concern was also expressed about active-duty service members, who may face difficulties due to their inability to present documents in person, undermining the very essence of democratic participation that they help defend.
The legislation would require a complete overhaul of voter registration procedures as well as the establishment of new document verification systems, which would be extremely costly for states.
The coalition echoed Attorney General James’ concern about the administrative and financial burden, noting that, as studies have shown, non-citizen voting is not a widespread issue, with incidences as low as 0.0001% in high immigrant population jurisdictions.
The coalition emphasized that such stringent measures are unnecessary and instead advocated for the continuation of the NVRA’s original intent to facilitate voter registration and democratic engagement.
Throughout her tenure, Attorney General James has advocated for voting rights. She defended New York’s Voting Rights Act earlier this year and the state’s Early Mail Voter Act a few months back.
In a notable case last April, she recovered up to $1.25 million from two individuals who attempted to intimidate Black voters with threatening robocalls.
Furthermore, Attorney General James has been steadfast in her efforts to educate and assist New Yorkers about their voting rights, as well as to ensure their unhindered access to the polls, as detailed by the Attorney General’s Office.
The attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia all support Attorney General James’ call to action.
These legal officials are urging congressional leaders to reject the SAVE Act and protect all eligible Americans’ fundamental right to vote.
