California Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with 17 other attorneys general, has voiced opposition to the federal legislation H.R. 22, known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. The group has expressed concerns that the proposed legislation would impose restrictive proof of citizenship requirements, potentially disenfranchising millions of eligible voters.
The SAVE Act, introduced by Republican Congressman Chip Roy, seeks to amend the National Voter Registration Act by mandating documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration and updates. The coalition of attorneys general argues that this would roll back decades of progress in promoting voter participation and reducing registration barriers.
Attorney General Bonta emphasized, "The so-called SAVE Act would be bad for blue and red states alike. I strongly urge members of Congress to oppose it." He highlighted that federal law already prevents non-citizens from voting and that instances of non-citizen voting are exceedingly rare. Bonta raised concerns that the Act could disenfranchise millions of Americans lacking easy access to necessary documents or the ability to present them in person.
The letter to congressional leaders reiterated that non-citizen voting is extremely rare, with studies in high-immigration areas showing only 0.0001% of votes cast by non-citizens. Despite this minimal risk, the Act is said to impose significant burdens, disproportionately affecting poor and minority communities. The legislation could also impact married women whose names differ from their birth certificates, and active-duty service members unable to return to their local election offices.
The attorneys general pointed out that approximately 21 million voting-age citizens lack immediate access to passports, birth records, or naturalization documents. Furthermore, 80% of married women may not have valid birth certificates under the SAVE Act due to name changes.
The attorneys highlighted the administrative and financial challenges the Act could create for state election systems, potentially requiring a complete overhaul of registration procedures and imposing severe penalties on electoral staff for errors.
The coalition aims to maintain accessible voting rights, urging Congress to reject the SAVE Act. Protecting election integrity, they argue, should not lead to the disenfranchisement of legitimate voters.
Besides California, the attorneys general from a coalition that includes states like Colorado, Illinois, and New York, as well as the District of Columbia, have joined in sending this letter.