1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to vote against the SAVE Act and to oppose any attempt to attach this legislation to other bills. This measure functions as a modern poll tax and violates the constitutional guarantee of voting rights for eligible American citizens. The SAVE Act would require Americans to present either a birth certificate or passport in person when registering to vote or updating their voter registration information. Approximately 21 million American citizens do not have easy access to these specific documents. Obtaining a birth certificate typically costs between $10 and $50 depending on the state, while a passport costs $130 for first-time adult applicants. These fees, combined with the time required to navigate bureaucratic processes, create a financial barrier to exercising the fundamental right to vote. 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 disproportionately disenfranchise elderly Americans who may not have birth certificates from states with poor record-keeping, low-income citizens who cannot afford document fees, and rural residents who face significant travel burdens to access vital records offices. These are eligible voters who have participated in our democracy for years. I ask that you take a clear stand against the SAVE Act in any form. Please commit to voting no on this legislation as a standalone bill and to opposing any effort to include these provisions in must-pass legislation or continuing resolutions. Our democracy is strengthened when we remove barriers to participation, not when we erect new ones that exclude millions of eligible citizens.