Vote NO on the SAVE Act

I am writing with urgency and conviction to **implore you to protect the sacred right to vote for every eligible American and to vote NO on the SAVE Act. Our democracy is not upheld simply by laws on paper — it lives in the hearts and voices of every citizen who stands in line to cast a ballot and make their voice heard. The right to vote is the foundation of liberty and justice in this nation. Time and again in our history, Americans have fought and even died so that every citizen — regardless of race, income, geography, gender, or background — would have access to the ballot box. The SAVE Act threatens that hard-won progress. By imposing burdensome documentary citizenship requirements for voter registration — requirements that would often eliminate online and mail-in registration, force people to navigate in-person bureaucratic hurdles, and demand documentation many citizens simply do not have — this bill does far more to suppress the vote than to secure our elections. It would force Americans to prove their eligibility instead of honoring their right, putting up barriers that disproportionately harm rural residents, low-income families, naturalized citizens, veterans, people of color, women who have changed their names, and elderly Americans. Millions of eligible voters — including more than 21 million citizens without ready access to passports or birth certificates — would find their right to vote obstructed or denied. This is not abstract political rhetoric — this is real democracy on the line. Under international human rights standards and the principles that make our republic exceptional, voting must remain universal, free, and accessible to all who are eligible. The so-called protections in this bill do nothing to address the tiny fraction of illegal voting that is already criminalized under existing law; instead, they create new, unnecessary barriers that suppress the voices of millions. The Senate has a moment — and a responsibility — to stand unwaveringly against voter suppression in all its forms. History will judge those who chose to protect and expand the franchise, and it will condemn those who stood by while basic democratic rights were eroded. For the sake of every teacher, student, caregiver, worker, immigrant, veteran, and citizen who believes in the promise of this nation, vote NO on the SAVE Act and affirm your commitment to a democracy that is open, inclusive, and strong.