1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

I urge you to oppose HB22, the SAVE Act, which would impose unnecessary documentary proof of citizenship requirements for voter registration in federal elections. This legislation creates substantial barriers for eligible American citizens while addressing a problem that effectively does not exist. Non-citizen voting in federal elections is already illegal under existing law. This bill is redundant legislation that solves no actual problem while creating massive obstacles for millions of eligible voters. The documentary requirements would disproportionately harm women who have changed their names through marriage or divorce and may struggle to obtain birth certificates or other documents reflecting their current legal identity. Elderly citizens, naturalized Americans who may have difficulty locating decades-old naturalization records, and those born in states with incomplete vital records systems would face particular hardship. The legislation imposes an unfunded mandate on states, requiring them to establish verification systems, train personnel, develop database interfaces, and retroactively verify millions of existing registrations without providing any federal appropriations for these substantial costs. States would be forced to redirect resources from other critical election administration functions to comply with these rigid federal requirements. HB22 amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, which was designed to increase voter registration accessibility, by creating the opposite effect. The bill provides no hardship exceptions or alternative verification methods for eligible citizens who cannot obtain required documentation. The private right of action provision would invite extensive litigation against election officials, further straining state and local resources while creating uncertainty in election administration. This legislation effectively functions as voter suppression by imposing documentary burdens that will reduce registration rates among eligible citizens. The fundamental right to vote should not be conditioned on possessing specific documents that many Americans do not routinely have available. I ask you to oppose HB22 and protect the voting rights of eligible American citizens.