A bill called the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act may sound like something positive, but in reality, this piece of federal legislation would create major barriers to voting for many people, including those with vision loss and other disabilities.
The SAVE Act would require all Americans registering to vote or updating their registration information to present proof of citizenship in person. For most people, this would be a passport or birth certificate. You can find a summary and the full text of the bill on the U.S. Congress website.
There are many serious problems with this bill. For starters, most lower income people do not have a passport, and many do not have possession of their birth certificate. Obtaining these documents is difficult—there are both financial and transportation barriers. The SAVE Act disproportionately affects women, since many women change their name when they get married, meaning their birth certificate does not match their current legal name. The requirement that this documentation be presented in person also potentially means the end of online voter registration, a huge problem for those without access to reliable transportation.
These obstacles are particularly burdensome for people who are blind or low vision. Voters with vision loss already face barriers finding transportation to vote in person, and having to now register in person creates another trip that they would need to find transportation for. Additionally, many people do not have easy access to the documents needed to prove citizenship under this bill, and replacing those documents is not a free service. A passport costs $130, and for the 72.5% of working age Wisconsin adults with vision loss who make less than $35,000 a year, that price is not affordable.
“People with disabilities vote in smaller numbers compared to our non-disabled friends and neighbors, and 11% of us report experiencing barriers that make it difficult or even impossible to vote,” said Denise Jess, Executive Director at the Council. “Our elected officials should focus on reducing barriers to voting for all who are qualified to cast a ballot, not on measures to make it even more difficult.”
Proponents of the SAVE Act are seeking to solve a problem that does not exist. Voter fraud is exceedingly rare, both in Wisconsin and nationwide. The SAVE Act would not protect elections in any meaningful way, but it would make voting significantly more difficult for millions of voters.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the SAVE Act in April, and it now moves to the Senate. We strongly urge you to contact your U.S. Senators and ask them to vote against it. The right to vote is too important to place these unnecessary burdens on so many Americans.
Here’s the contact information for Wisconsin’s two U.S. Senators:
Senator Ron Johnson
Email contact form
328 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5323
Senator Tammy Baldwin
Email contact form
141 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5653
