By Lyn Blackwell
The League of Women Voters of Vermont is committed to educating voters about potential changes in voting rules. The proposed SAVE Act (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act), which has passed the U.S. House and is pending in the Senate, requires documentary proof of citizenship in-person and would eliminate most common registration methods. This federal legislation would impact every state, including Vermont.
Who would be affected by the SAVE ACT?
- Every citizen who attempts to register or update a registration will need to appear at a municipal or state office to show required documentation.
- Online and mail-in registration will no longer be available; voters will need to bring documentation to the polls for same-day registration.
- Citizens without passports (146 million of voting age) will need birth certificates, naturalization cards, or other documents, which they may no longer possess.
- Married women or others whose names do not match their birth certificates will need marriage certificates or other new documentation.
- Voters may be unknowingly purged from voter lists.
- States and municipalities will need to hire staff at their expense to revise registration processes and may be subject to criminal penalties for a mistaken registration.
As a result, these new and costly registration rules will discourage voting or even take away the right to vote for many citizens.
Remember – the more people vote, the stronger the democracy. Defend the right to vote.
To read more, visit: https://shorturl.at/t0ZEj and https://shorturl.at/wDnN7.