1. United States
2. Ariz.
3. Letter

Despite repeated defeats of the SAVE Act, the president continues to demand that Congress pass this ill-conceived bill to fix a problem that doesn't exist but will create major obstacles for every real qualified voter of any stripe.  While the SAVE purports to make sure only US citizens vote in federal elections, that is already our well-enforced law. This bill would add new documentation requirements for voter registration and they would have to be presented an election office, rather than the current practices that allow for online, mail-in, community, and DMV registration. Voters would need to present a valid US passport, certified birth certificate paired with a photo ID, a naturalization certificate, or a consular report of birth abroad. Voters whose names have changed would require additional paperwork. These documents would need to be presented at election offices every time a voter updates their registration, for a residential move, name change, or change of party affiliation.  And many Americans do not have access to the documentation required, despite being US citizens with the right to participate in elections. 51% of Americans do not have a valid passport, and fees to acquire or replace one can be prohibitive for lower income voters. Replacing a lost naturalization certificate is even more costly. An estimated 69 million US women do not have birth certificates matching their current legal name.  Because the SAVE Act requires that documentation be presented at election offices, Americans in rural areas would need to drive an average of 260 miles to reach an election office. Voters with disabilities, those without reliable transportation, or those working long hours would all be shut out of the voting process by this registration requirement alone. This in-person requirement also disadvantages military service members and American citizens living abroad. State election officials already verify voter eligibility using state-level systems and processes with some limited use of federal databases. This verification is active, ongoing, and working. State audits of registered voters show statistically insignificant registration of noncitizens and zero instances of noncitizens voting. The SAVE Act purports to keep noncitizens from voting, which they aren't doing, but it's true result will be preventing American citizens from even registering in the first place. Why doesn't Trump want Americans to vote?