Reject H.R. 22 – Protect Americans’ Right to Vote

I urge you to oppose H.R. 22, the “Safeguard American Voter Eligibility” (SAVE) Act. While it claims to protect election integrity, it is, in reality, a dangerous voter suppression measure that would strip millions of Americans of their right to vote. This bill would require voters to provide limited forms of documentary proof of citizenship, such as a passport or birth certificate—documents that many Americans simply do not have on hand. Nearly 150 million Americans lack a passport, and an estimated 69 million women have birth certificates that do not match their current legal name, creating unnecessary obstacles to voting. Elderly citizens, who are among the least likely to have passports, would also be disproportionately affected. In states like Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and West Virginia, fewer than one-third of citizens hold valid passports, meaning large portions of the population could be shut out of the electoral process. H.R. 22 does not address a real problem—voter fraud is incredibly rare. Instead, it creates unnecessary hurdles that would disproportionately affect women, older adults, and low-income voters. Rather than undermining access to the ballot, Congress should focus on strengthening democracy by supporting the Freedom to Vote Act and the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. The right to vote is a fundamental principle of our democracy, not a privilege reserved for those with the right paperwork. I urge you to reject H.R. 22 and work toward policies that expand, rather than restrict, access to the ballot box.