Friend, this is starting to get creepy.
At a time when Republicans in Congress are fast tracking the anti-voter SAVE Act 2.0 that would require an over $100 passport or a birth certificate (one that matches the current name, which is somewhat impossible if you’re married and changed your name since birth) in order to vote; Secretary of State Marco Rubio also just announced that an estimated 15% of public libraries can no longer even provide passport services. [1]
Protecting the right to vote is getting more critical by the day.
This attack on passport access, and on the ability for married women to vote, is on the heels of Kristi Noem’s unAmerican comments on “mak[ing] sure we have the right people voting, electing the right leaders.” [2]
Tell Congress: Protect our voting rights and REJECT the anti-voter SAVE 2.0 Act.
Even Republicans see a problem here with restricting libraries who support passport services. According to the Associated Press, both Democratic and Republican members of Congress are sending a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio this month asking him to extend the existing passport programs in libraries and there is bi-partisan legislation being proposed to allow these library passport programs to continue. [3]
Everyone is concerned and it doesn’t take a crystal ball or tea leaves to see why.
Tell Congress to vote NO on the Anti-voter SAVE Act!
The SAVE Act would require all eligible Americans to provide proof of citizenship by presenting a passport (which cost over $100!) or a birth certificate (one that matches the current name, which is somewhat impossible if you’re married and changed your name since birth) when registering to vote. 21 million Americans lack easy access to those documents with their current name, and roughly half do not have passports. This would have a disproportionate impact on women, who often change their names when they get married or divorced. [4] And in states like West Virginia, Mississippi, and Alabama, over 70% of citizens don’t have a passport. That is A LOT of voter suppression. AND again, Secretary of State Marco Rubio just made it harder to get a passport?!?!?!
Not to mention the nearly 69 million married women in the US who changed their names when they married? Is your married name on your birth certificate? No? Then you won’t be able to use that to register to vote. The anti-voter SAVE Act, in all of its forms, does nothing to make elections safer, but they do make it much harder to exercise your right to vote.
When you click, you’ll automatically sign on to our letter that reads:
We urge you to vote NO on the SAVE Act because this bill will create huge barriers to register to vote for the more than half of Americans who do not have passports. More than 21 million eligible voters don’t have these documents readily available. When Kansas and Arizona implemented similar requirements, they blocked tens of thousands of eligible American citizens from registering to vote.
Moreover, this legislation would end voter registration drives, online and mail voter registration, and other voter registration efforts that are critical to voters, regardless of political party.
The SAVE Act is a dangerous anti-voter bill that will not make our elections safer, but will create barriers that weaken our democracy and silence voters, regardless of political party.
No attack on our democracy can be tolerated. Tell Congress to vote NO on the Anti-voter SAVE Act.
The bill does not provide a clear way for women to prove their citizenship without a passport, which would leave many women without a way to register or cast their ballots. And I know I keep saying, but there are efforts underway that make it harder to get a passport anyways?! Not to mention, married women who have changed their last name would also have to change their birth certificate, at significant cost and time, to meet the new voter requirements. This bill would impact working moms and those who simply cannot afford the expensive paperwork to prove they are eligible to vote.
Together, we can make sure our right to vote stays intact,
Nina, Ruth, Donna, and the entire MomsRising Team
P.S.– Personal experiences are powerful and can make a HUGE difference in helping elected leaders understand how public policies impact families so they can move change. We want to hear more from YOU! Can you take a second and follow the link below to share your personal story about how passage of the SAVE Act would impact you and your family?
https://action.momsrising.org/survey/SAVEActStories
References:
[1] State Department orders nonprofit libraries to stop processing passport applications, Associated Press
[2] Kristi Noem snaps back amid anger over her claim she’ll ensure the ‘right people’ elect the ‘right leaders’ in midterms, The Independent
[3] State Department orders nonprofit libraries to stop processing passport applications, Associated Press
[4] New SAVE Act Bills Would Still Block Millions of Americans From Voting, The Brennan Center for Justice
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