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

I am writing as a North Carolina voter regarding the SAVE Act. I share the goal of protecting the integrity of our elections and agree that only U.S. citizens should be permitted to vote in federal elections. However, I am concerned that the SAVE Act may impose unnecessary burdens on eligible American citizens while addressing a problem that available evidence indicates is statistically rare. Documented cases of illegal voting by noncitizens are extremely limited compared with the hundreds of millions of ballots cast in American elections. For example, reviews of election records and investigations have found only a very small number of confirmed cases over many election cycles. One review of millions of ballots identified only a handful of suspected cases referred for investigation, representing a tiny fraction of total votes cast. Given the limited evidence of widespread noncitizen voting, I respectfully ask: what specific evidence demonstrates that this issue is significant enough to justify imposing new documentation requirements on citizens who wish to register to vote? I am especially concerned about the potential impact on lawful voters who may not have immediate access to qualifying citizenship documents. Many Americans do not have a passport, may have difficulty obtaining a certified birth certificate, may have experienced name changes due to marriage or other life events, or may face challenges accessing government records. The right to vote should not depend on a person's ability to navigate a costly or burdensome documentation process. While I support verifying citizenship, any required documentation should be provided free of charge and easily accessible to every eligible citizen. If citizens must pay fees, travel significant distances, take unpaid time away from work, or overcome administrative hurdles simply to obtain documents required to exercise their constitutional right to vote, that creates a financial and practical barrier that raises concerns similar to the historical problems addressed by prohibitions on poll taxes. If the federal government believes additional documentation is necessary, then I believe the burden should be on the government to provide that documentation at no cost, through an accessible process available to every citizen. Election security is important, but effective policy should be based on measurable problems and evidence-based solutions. I respectfully encourage you to support measures that address documented vulnerabilities in our election system without creating unnecessary barriers for lawful voters. I would appreciate understanding what level of documented illegal voting would justify the additional requirements this legislation creates, and what evidence demonstrates that existing safeguards are inadequate. Thank you for your service to North Carolina and for considering my concerns.