Inclusive Democracy Caucus Statement on Congressional Republicans’ Attack on Voting Rights
ST. PAUL, Minn. — On Thursday, April 10, Republicans in the US House of Representatives passed the SAVE Act - a bill that would require document proof of US citizenship to register to vote.
If passed into law, the legislation would compel “documentary proof of US citizenship” of every eligible voter in order to register to vote. Applicants who submit federal voter registration via mail must also travel to their local election office to present proof of citizenship in person, creating more hurdles for eligible voters. Non-citizens are already prohibited from voting in federal elections, and face deportation or felony charges if they violate the law.
According to the Associated Press, it is estimated that almost 10% of US citizens of voting age (over 21 million people) do not have proof of citizenship readily available. Additionally, this would create more barriers to voting for the millions of individuals who have their maiden names listed on their birth certificates.
In response to the US House of Representatives’ passage of this bill, Chairs of the Minnesota Legislature’s Inclusive Democracy Caucus, Senator Liz Boldon (DFL-Rochester), Representative Cedrick Frazier (DFL-New Hope) and Representative Emma Greenman (DFL-Minneapolis), released the following statement:
“Donald Trump and his Republican allies have a long track record of trying to roll back the freedom to vote to bolster their own political power. Trump’s illegal Executive Order and the SAVE Act are clear evidence that if we let them, Trump and MAGA Republicans intend to rig the rules of our elections to silence voters and the public.
“The SAVE Act, which passed in Congress yesterday, is nothing more than an attempt to grab power by suppressing the freedom to vote. The truth is that non-citizens are already legally barred from voting but that hasn’t stopped the Republicans from using it as an excuse to erect additional barriers for eligible voters. This bill will disenfranchise millions of voters who don’t have a passport or birth certificate, and it presents significant obstacles for rural communities, young voters, and anyone who doesn’t have their current name on their original birth certificate.”
The SAVE Act now heads to the Republican-controlled US Senate.
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