By Sunita Sohrabji

On a 220-208 vote April 10, the House passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act — SAVE — potentially stripping away the ability to vote for at least 40 million Americans.

All House Republicans, along with 4 Democrats, voted for the bill — HR 22 — which now heads to the Senate, where it would need 60 votes to pass. Several pundits predict the measure faces long odds in the Senate, and is unlikely to pass, because it would need the support of 7 Democrats.

“I am leading the fight in the Senate to push back against this effort to disrupt our already safe and secure elections. This bill cannot pass the Senate. I will fight every step of the way to block it,” said Sen. Alex Padilla, D-California, after the House vote. He earlier issued a statement about his opposition to the bill.

In-Person Registration Only

The SAVE Act would require folks registering to vote to present proof of citizenship — passport, US birth certificate or naturalization papers in person at an election office. The Act would end voter registration drives, mail-in and online registration.

More than 150 million Americans lack passports. 70 million married women do not have birth certificates that match their current names. Overall, 21 million eligible voters lack birth certificates, predominantly in rural areas. Many are older people, who have consistently voted in elections, but were born at home, and not issued a birth certificate.

Additionally, transgender people would largely lack identity documents that match their names on their birth certificates. They would also be ineligible to vote. Disabled voters who lack the ability to present their proof of citizenship documents in person, would also be stricken from election rosters.

‘Voter Suppression, Plain and Simple’

”This is voter suppression, plain and simple,” said Rep. Joe Morelle, D-New York, at a March 31 press conference in Washington DC, organized to oppose the SAVE Act. Leaders from several civil rights organizations spoke at the news conference to express their opposition to the SAVE Act.

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who introduced HR 22 in the House, has alleged that “millions of illegal aliens” are voting in US elections, including “bad actors” seeking to undermine election results.

“In order to preserve this republic, we must uphold what it means to be able to vote in a U.S. election. I am grateful that my colleagues answered the call and passed the SAVE Act, as this serves as a critical first step to ensure that we maintain election integrity throughout our country. It is now up to the Senate to take up, pass, and send this important bill to President Trump’s desk,” said Roy in a statement after the bill was passed.

Villainizing Immigrant Communities

John C. Yang, president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC, said in an April 10 statement: “We are dismayed by the House’s decision to advance the misnamed SAVE Act, which is an unwarranted attack on voting rights for all who are eligible. In reality, the SAVE Act exploits divisive claims about voter fraud to undermine the democratic process and villainize immigrant communities.”

“And while it aims to target noncitizens, it will make registering to vote significantly more difficult for the over 21 million Americans who do not have ready access to the required forms of identification.  Let’s call the SAVE Act what it actually is: fraudulent fear-mongering designed to exclude voters who are considered unfavorable,” stated Yang.

Story courtesy of American Community Media