SAVE voting rights
I remember hearing a few months ago… after the election results were finalized, someone asked, "Where do we start? What will be the biggest issue?" The answer was voting access. Every election cycle, voting in this country gets harder and harder. Stricter voter ID laws, minimal polling place hours and locations, limited drop-off boxes for absentee voters, intimidation, threats… the list goes on.
They will do anything to make it hard for the everyday person to vote.
The SAVE Act was passed in the House in 2024 but then stalled in the Senate. It has been reintroduced to the current Congress. The bill requires voters to prove their US citizenship to register to vote. You would need a current American passport OR a birth certificate and photo ID with the same name. This will affect anyone who has legally changed their name, but most of those people are married women who changed to their spouse’s last name.
There’s a lot of talk about non-citizens voting and messing with election results. Funny how that was only a big deal in 2020. Apparently, in 2016 and 2024, it wasn’t a problem. (Is there a sarcastic font on here?) The Republicans would instead make it almost impossible for tens of millions of people to vote than admit there isn’t a voter fraud problem. Because voter fraud is the only way they lose… so they cry.
So, get a passport, right? It’s not that easy. Getting a passport is expensive and time-consuming. Voting isn’t only for those who travel abroad and have time to go through the application process.
Voting is for everyone. It’s kind of the point of our democracy.
So what are you going to do? Open your 5calls app and call your representatives. There’s a script loaded for you!
If you want to prepare for a future where this is the law of the land, I recommend getting a copy of your birth certificate (if your name has not changed since birth) and/or get a passport. If your legal name does not match your current photo ID, get a passport. I would hope the passport card would be just fine. It’s not good for air travel but works for land travel to Canada and Mexico and it significantly cheaper.
The hope is that ultimately you won’t need it to vote but instead are now ready to travel out of the country! Bon voyage!