By Hank Russell
Two Long Island federal elected officials were on opposite sides after a controversial voting bill was approved by the House of Representatives.
On April 9, the House passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, introduced by Chip Roy (R-Texas), by a 220-208 vote. Four Democrats voted along with the entire GOP majority, according to Democracy Docket.
The bill would prohibit states from accepting and processing an application to register to vote in a federal election unless the applicant presents documentary proof of U.S. citizenship. While some say this would protect election integrity, others argued it would trample on the voting rights of those in lower-income communities and people of color.
The Act faced some serious backlash. As previously reported in Long Island Life & Politics, state Attorney General Letitia James joined a coalition of other attorneys general in sending a letter to Congress, calling on them not to vote for the SAVE Act. In their letter, the AGs highlighted that 21 million voting-age citizens do not have ready access to a passport, birth record, or naturalization record, and that 80 percent of married women would not have a valid birth certificate under the SAVE Act because they chose to adopt their partner’s last name.
James and the coalition also expressed concerns about the substantial administrative and financial burdens the SAVE Act would place on state election systems. The legislation would require states to fundamentally restructure their voter registration procedures and create new systems for document verification, while criminalizing mistakes made by election officials with penalties of up to five years in prison.
Nick LaLota (R-Rocky Point) said he was proud to vote for the SAVE Act.
“As a former Commissioner of the Suffolk County Board of Elections, I deeply respect the dual importance of ballot access and election integrity,” said LaLota. “I remain committed to making it easier to vote and harder to cheat. The SAVE Act, which passed the House today with my support, includes a commonsense voter ID requirement backed by over 80% of Americans—including strong majorities of Republicans, independents, and even Democrats. This measure helps prevent fraud and strengthens public confidence in our elections.”
However, Laura Gillen (D-Garden City) said that, while she believes that only naturalized citizens should be allowed to vote in U.S. elections, she said the bill is not the answer.
“[The SAVE Act] is not designed to maintain the accuracy of voter rolls,” she posted on X (formerly Twitter). “Instead, it is designed to maintain the accuracy of our voter rolls. Instead, it is designed to make it harder for American citizens, including our servicemembers deployed overseas and married women who changed their last names, to vote in our elections. I reject the GOP’s disgraceful attempt to disenfranchise American citizens.”