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

I am writing to urge you to oppose the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would create significant barriers to voter registration that disproportionately harm married women who have changed their names. While Americans already verify their eligibility when registering to vote, the SAVE Act would impose new documentation requirements that more than 21 million Americans lack access to. The bill would prevent most voters from registering with just their driver's license, instead requiring less common documents like a U.S. passport or birth certificate. This creates a particular hardship for married individuals who changed their names, as their birth certificates may not reflect their current legal name. The impact extends beyond initial registration. Any time a registered voter updates their information, such as changing an address or political party, they would need to provide these documents again. This means a married woman who moved to a new home would face additional bureaucratic hurdles simply to update her voter registration. In 2022, more than 7 million Americans registered to vote by mail and almost 11 million registered online. The SAVE Act would severely threaten mail registration and require complete overhauls of online registration systems, making it harder for busy working mothers and caregivers to participate in our democracy. The bill also mandates frequent voter purges based on faulty data, which have historically removed eligible American citizens from voter rolls. Additionally, election workers could face up to five years in prison for helping register someone without correct documents, even if that person is actually a citizen. Laws already exist to ensure only citizens vote, including strict penalties such as deportation for non-citizens who attempt to vote. The SAVE Act solves no real problem while creating substantial obstacles for millions of eligible voters, particularly married women. I ask that you oppose this legislation and protect the voting rights of all eligible Americans.