Hi John, 

We need your help right now. The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) is considering a proposal that would make it harder for millions of Americans to vote.

A coordinated campaign has already flooded the EAC with thousands of comments in support of the proposal. Now, the EAC needs to hear from everyday voters like you about how damaging this would be to our democracy – and the deadline to submit your comment is this Monday, October 20th.

This anti-voter proposal would require voters to show original citizenship documents every time they register or update their registration. We call this the “Proof of Citizenship” Trap. This proposal is designed to sound reasonable on its surface, but its true purpose is to block eligible people from voting.

• This proposal would create real barriers to voting. Even though there are other ways for officials to verify your citizenship, you’ll be required to appear in person with hardcopy citizenship documents (i.e., your birth certificate or passport) every time you register or update your registration. No driver’s licenses, photocopies, or expired documents allowed.
• It “solves” a problem that doesn’t exist. Noncitizen voting is extremely rare and is already illegal. There are current safeguards that already work to prevent, detect, and prosecute against it.
• 21 million Americans don’t have easy access to a passport or their birth certificate. Young voters, married women who’ve changed their name, and low-income Americans would be most affected.

Your comment can be short and anonymous. Here are some examples:

→ I’m an American citizen and I’ve been voting for years. If you agree to this, you’ll be making it harder for me to vote, and you will block millions of other Americans from voting.

→ The proposed document requirement is unnecessary, costly, and would make it harder for eligible Americans to vote.

→ Current safeguards already work to identify and prosecute the very rare cases of noncitizen voting. This proposal only creates barriers for legitimate voters.

Don't wait: submit your comment now before the Monday, October 20th deadline. Please help protect our democratic process by adding your voice today.

Thank you for your support,

Carolyn DeWitt

President & Executive Director

Rock the Vote

P.S. Want to learn more? Read our explainer about a similar proposal that was introduced in Congress last year.

Rock the Vote is a nonprofit working to protect voting rights for every American and enfranchise young people in the political process. We are not affiliated with any political party or campaign.

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