By Hank Russell
New York Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of 17 other attorneys general sent a letter urging congressional leadership to reject the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act.
With Congress set to vote on the Act, James and the other AGs signed and sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) letting them know their opposition to this bill.
Joining James in sending this letter were the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia.
According to James, the SAVE Act — introduced by U.S. Congressman Chip Roy (R-Texas) — would amend the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) by placing new requirements on Americans to provide documentary proof of their citizenship when registering to vote.
The coalition emphasizes that this proof of citizenship requirement would reverse three decades of progress made under the NVRA, which was designed to remove barriers to voter registration and promote greater participation in the democratic process.
In the letter, James and the coalition warn that the proposed legislation would create significant obstacles for eligible voters, including:
- requiring expensive documentation such as passports or birth certificates and jeopardizing the franchise for those whose documents may not perfectly match their current names, such as married women and trans people
- mandating in-person presentation of citizenship documents, effectively eliminating online voter registration systems currently available in 42 states
- threatening to undermine the franchise for active-duty service members who cannot return to their local election offices
In their letter, the attorneys general highlight 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.
James and the coalition also assert that non-citizen voting is extremely rare. Studies show that in jurisdictions with high immigrant populations, only 0.0001% of votes cast were by non-citizens. Despite this negligible risk, the SAVE Act would impose substantial burdens on eligible voters, particularly affecting poor and minority communities.
“The right to vote is the very foundation of our democracy, but with this bill, Congress is threatening that right for millions of eligible voters,” James said. “The so-called SAVE Act would disproportionately impact communities of color, low-income individuals, and other vulnerable populations to create a dangerous precedent. It is nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to suppress voter participation and I urge Congress to reject this bill and protect every American’s fundamental right to vote.”
However, some expressed support for the bill. Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (R-Lockport), Chair of the Election Integrity Caucus, said she is “thrilled” to vote for the Act, adding, “This will help secure our elections and restore faith in our democratic process.”
Long Island Life & Politics reached out to President Donald Trump’s office and is waiting to hear back.