Hey John — you hear a lot from us about the dangers of the SAVE Act, which now awaits a vote in the Republican-controlled Senate. We’ve been clear that it’s one of the biggest threats to voting rights in a generation.

Undermining the power of voters is part of the same far-right playbook that aims to manipulate electoral maps all to stay in power. But democracy survives only if enough of us believe in it and are willing to fight back against attacks like this.

That starts with each of us doing more to make sure people know what’s at stake in this fight. The NDRC has put together a quick Q&A to help everyone talk to their circles about the SAVE Act. Let’s dive in. 

What exactly is the SAVE Act, and why is it so dangerous?
The SAVE Act, otherwise known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, is a bill that would require documentary proof of citizenship in person to register to vote. It could make exercising your right to vote much more difficult if you go through any normal life events. If you got married and changed your last name, or if you don’t have a passport, or maybe lost your original documents in a move or natural disaster, you will have extra hurdles to jump to make your voice heard. 

Who would be impacted the most by the SAVE Act? 
The SAVE Act would disenfranchise millions of Americans by throwing up major obstacles to voting that would directly impact working-class Americans, rural voters, victims of natural disasters, naturalized citizens, military members, tribal citizens, married women, LGBTQ+ voters, and people of color.

Are these kinds of voting obstacles being introduced on the state level as well?
Yes, Republicans in state legislatures are pushing similar bills and have even passed some in recent years. In Kansas, a 2011 proof-of-citizenship law blocked over 31,000 eligible voters, and nearly one in eight new voters. In New Hampshire, married women and countless others were turned away for lacking updated documents when the state legislature removed the opportunity for voters to sign an affidavit at the polling place if they didn’t have sufficient documents. And in Arizona, thousands of voters are effectively shut out of in-state elections due to a strict proof of U.S. citizenship requirement for voter registration. These voters tend to be young, nonwhite, and low-income, meaning that state lawmakers are effectively shutting down the power of certain voters.

Can we still stop the SAVE Act from being passed?
There are various ways for us to reject the SAVE Act. As a constituent, you can demand your senator vote NO on the SAVE Act — take a few minutes to make a call to your senators using our tool. But all of us have a role to play in helping shine a spotlight on nefarious legislation like this. By talking about it with your friends, you can help sound the alarm on the dangers of the SAVE Act and build a stronger opposition to legislation like this. In the long run, that’s how we defeat an anti-democracy playbook.

And by contributing to the NDRC, your donation helps to fuel our efforts to fight back against anti-voter policies and support fair maps champions across the country.

We hope that this primer helps kick off a conversation or two — feel free to forward this email along to get one started.

Thanks for all that you do to protect democracy,

Team NDRC

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