1. United States
2. N.J.
3. Letter

I urge you to oppose HB7296, the SAVE America Act, which would create substantial barriers to voter registration for millions of eligible American citizens, including women who have changed their names through marriage or divorce and may lack documentation reflecting their current legal status. This legislation mandates documentary proof of citizenship for all federal voter registration, requiring documents like REAL ID-compliant identification, passports, or birth certificates that many eligible voters do not possess. Women who have married and changed their names often face particular challenges obtaining documents that match across various records. Elderly citizens who were born before comprehensive vital records systems may lack birth certificates entirely. Native Americans from tribes with limited vital records face similar obstacles. Low-income individuals cannot always afford the fees required to obtain these documents, effectively creating a financial barrier to registration that functions as a modern poll tax. The Act solves a problem that does not exist. Documented instances of non-citizen voting are exceedingly rare, while this legislation will prevent thousands of eligible citizens from registering. States must submit voter registration lists quarterly to the Department of Homeland Security's SAVE system beginning June 1, 2025, despite documented accuracy problems with federal databases that could result in eligible citizens being improperly removed from voter rolls. States receive no federal funding to implement these requirements, forcing them to bear substantial costs for system development, database access, and ongoing verification activities. The private right of action provision exposes election officials to litigation, potentially creating defensive practices that further restrict access rather than facilitate registration. This legislation represents voter suppression rather than election security. I ask you to oppose HB7296 and protect the fundamental right to vote for all eligible American citizens, regardless of their access to documentary proof.