1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

Please vote against the SAVE Act and oppose any attempt to attach this legislation to other bills. Beyond the fact that voter fraud is not a problem in US elections, this measure functions as a modern poll tax and violates the constitutional guarantee of voting rights for eligible American citizens. The Twenty-Fourth Amendment explicitly prohibits poll taxes in federal elections. The Supreme Court extended this protection in Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections, ruling that any fee imposed as a condition of voting violates equal protection. By requiring documents that cost money to obtain, the SAVE Act imposes exactly the kind of financial barrier our Constitution forbids. Beyond the constitutional concerns, this requirement would disenfranchise as many as 21 million Americans who may not have birth certificates, are from states with poor record-keeping, are low-income citizens who cannot afford document fees, or are rural residents who face significant travel burdens to access vital records offices. I ask that you take a clear stand against the SAVE Act in any form.