1. United States
2. Utah
3. Letter

I'm asking you to oppose Senator Husted's photo ID amendment and any similar provisions in the SAVE America Act. This federal mandate would override all 50 states' existing voter ID laws and impose a single restrictive standard on federal elections that violates multiple constitutional protections. The Constitution grants states the authority to administer elections. Husted's amendment would eliminate every state's carefully crafted voter ID system and replace it with a one-size-fits-all federal requirement. States that currently accept student IDs, utility bills, or other forms of identification would be forced to reject them for federal races. This creates a confusing two-tier system where voters need different IDs depending on whether they're voting for state or federal candidates. Requiring specific government-issued photo IDs functions as a poll tax in many cases. Obtaining a passport, driver's license, or other qualifying ID costs money and time that creates a financial barrier to voting. The 24th Amendment prohibits poll taxes, and this requirement imposes exactly that kind of economic obstacle. The mail-in voting provisions are particularly problematic. Requiring voters to include photocopies or images of their ID with their ballot fundamentally compromises ballot secrecy. Even Husted's claim that the ID goes on the outside envelope doesn't solve the problem of linking voter identity directly to ballot materials in ways that could enable tracking. Vote no on this amendment and the SAVE America Act.