John,

Each election year, my team works to reach hundreds of thousands of voters in our district to Get Out the Vote. But anti-democracy lawmakers are trying to make that more difficult for millions of eligible voters.

Across the country, more than 100 state laws have been enacted that restrict access to the ballot box. In Michigan, Republicans recently introduced House Joint Resolution B, which would require proof of citizenship to vote. This awful legislation is similar to the federally introduced SAVE Act, which would disenfranchise millions of eligible voters nationwide, disproportionately impacting women, people of color, seniors, people with low incomes, and naturalized citizens.

In response, congressional Democrats have re-introduced the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to strengthen and expand voting rights, including by restoring protections that were taken away when the U.S. Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Join me in telling Congress and State Legislatures across the country to protect and expand our constitutional right to vote. Add your name >>

When we make our voices heard―in the streets, the courts, or the voting booth―we can create the multiracial democracy that we deserve, with equity for all.

Thank you for standing with me,

Rashida

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Rashida Tlaib
Date: Sat, Mar 8, 2025
Subject: Our voting rights are under attack at the state and federal levels
To: [email protected]

John,

Our voting rights are under attack.

In the House of Representatives, a vote is expected soon on the so-called SAVE Act, which would disenfranchise millions of eligible voters by requiring proof of citizenship in the form of a passport or birth certificate in order to register to vote.

Proof-of-citizenship requirements disproportionately affect people of color, people with low incomes, naturalized citizens, seniors, and women, who may be wrongly removed from voter rolls due to outdated or incorrect data.

Over 150 million Americans―roughly half of the U.S. population―don’t have a passport, and roughly 8 in 10 married women who changed their surname don’t have a birth certificate that matches their current name. Nearly 11% of American citizens of color don’t have easy access to the proof of citizenship required by the bill; that’s true of 9% of all American citizens of voting age. Elderly Americans are the least likely to have a passport or immediate access to their birth certificate.

If passed, the SAVE Act would exclude commonly accepted forms of identification like Tribal IDs, student IDs, and driver’s licenses. Only 43% of Native peoples have a passport, which is 13% less than the rest of the country’s population. Many older Natives were born at home on reservations and were never issued a U.S.-government birth certificate.

Similar to the federally introduced SAVE Act, Michigan Republicans recently introduced House Joint Resolution B, which would disenfranchise millions of eligible Michigan voters. Across the country, more than 100 laws have been enacted at the state level to restrict access to voting.

Thankfully, this week, Democrats in Congress re-introduced the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to ensure that every eligible American—regardless of race, income, or zip code—has an equal say in our democracy.

In the face of voter disenfranchisement on the federal and state levels, we must call for expanded access to the ballot box. Join me in demanding Congress and State Legislatures protect and expand our voting rights. Add your name today >>

Together, we will continue resisting this authoritarian administration and demand Congresspeople fulfill their constitutional duty to be a check on the Executive Branch. In this year’s special elections and next year’s midterm elections, we’ll work to win back the House and Senate and keep building a government that actually meets people’s needs so we can all thrive.

Yours in service,

Rashida