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

I urge you to oppose the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would create unnecessary barriers to voter registration and disproportionately harm women and other vulnerable populations. More than 21 million Americans lack access to the additional documentation this bill would require. While current law already mandates citizenship verification during registration, the SAVE Act would prevent most voters from registering with just their driver's license. Instead, voters would need less common documents like U.S. passports or birth certificates. This particularly impacts married individuals, predominantly women, who have changed their names and may not have birth certificates reflecting their current legal name. The bill's reach extends beyond new registrations. Every time a registered voter updates their address or political party, they would need to provide these documents again. This creates repeated obstacles for women who move after marriage or divorce, forcing them to navigate bureaucratic hurdles simply to maintain their fundamental right to vote. In 2022, more than 7 million Americans registered by mail and almost 11 million registered online. The SAVE Act would severely threaten mail registration and require complete overhauls of online registration systems. The legislation would also mandate frequent voter purges based on faulty data, which historically have removed eligible American citizens from voter rolls. Perhaps most troubling, 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. This chilling effect would discourage election officials from performing their duties and assisting voters who need help. Laws already exist to ensure only citizens vote, including deportation for non-citizens who attempt to vote. The SAVE Act solves no real problem while creating substantial barriers that would silence American voices, particularly those of women who have exercised their legal right to change their names. I ask that you oppose this legislation and protect every eligible citizen's access to the ballot box.