1. United States
2. Mo.
3. Letter

Dear Senator, I am writing as a Missouri constituent to urge you in the strongest possible terms to vote NO on the SAVE America Act (S. 1383) and to oppose any effort to advance this legislation in the Senate. Noncitizen voting in federal elections is already illegal, and the available evidence indicates that it is exceedingly rare. We should not impose substantial new barriers on millions of eligible American voters in an attempt to solve a problem for which there is little evidence of any meaningful scale. The SAVE America Act would require Americans to provide documentary proof of citizenship when registering or re-registering to vote. Millions of American citizens do not have ready access to a passport or birth certificate. Others—including married women whose current names differ from those on their birth certificates, older Americans, lower-income citizens, and people who have difficulty obtaining original documents—could face additional obstacles simply to exercise their constitutional right to vote. Election security is important. But election security and voter suppression are not the same thing. Let me provide you with a valid and relevant fact that supports my position. According to the Brennen Center for Justice, about 35% of St. Louis County registered voters initially identified as noncitizens through the federal SAVE verification system were actually naturalized U.S. citizens. This relevant finding according to St. Louis County’s Republican election director clearly demonstrates the potential for erroneous identification right here in Missouri. The right to vote is fundamental to our democracy. Legislation that could prevent eligible citizens from exercising that right demands an extraordinarily compelling justification. I do not believe the SAVE America Act meets that standard. I therefore ask you to vote NO on the SAVE America Act and oppose procedural efforts to advance it. Please protect both the integrity of our elections and the right of every eligible American citizen to participate in them.