1. United States
2. Tenn.
3. Letter

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, introduced by Representative Chip Roy, poses significant barriers for millions of eligible American citizens to exercise their fundamental right to vote. By mandating stringent documentary proof of citizenship requirements upon voter registration, this legislation would disproportionately impact vulnerable groups like married women who have changed their names, people of color, young and elderly individuals. Over 21 million Americans lack access to the additional documents necessitated by the SAVE Act, effectively disenfranchising a substantial portion of the electorate. Existing safeguards like providing Social Security numbers, cross-checking voter rolls against federal databases, and voter ID laws in many states already ensure only citizens can cast ballots. Imposing draconian burdens on the voting process undermines the integrity of our elections by eroding public trust and excluding lawful participants. This severe restriction on the franchise is an unwarranted overreaction to the minuscule instances of non-citizen voting irregularities. In Georgia's 2024 election, a mere 20 non-citizens attempted to vote out of 8.4 million registered voters, with zero impact on results. Such isolated cases are already subject to harsh penalties like deportation. Rather than fortifying election security, the SAVE Act would instead erect unconstitutional barriers to the ballot box for countless Americans across demographics. I urge you to reject this grievously misguided legislation that curtails a sacrosanct civil liberty.