Attorney General Aaron D. Ford has aligned with a group of 18 attorneys general to oppose the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, also known as H.R. 22. The coalition contends that the proposed legislation would impose excessive and unnecessary requirements, potentially disenfranchising millions of eligible voters nationwide.
“This act would create significant burdens for Nevadans who wish to exercise that most sacred of American institutions: the right to vote,” stated AG Ford. “We cannot allow law-abiding Americans to have their democratic rights threatened for political theater, and I won’t stand quiet while some members of Congress do exactly that.”
In their communication addressed to House Speaker Michael Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the attorneys general highlight that non-citizen voting is extremely rare. They cite studies indicating that in areas with high immigrant populations, only 0.0001% of votes were cast by non-citizens. Despite this minimal risk, they argue the SAVE Act would place substantial burdens on eligible voters, particularly impacting poor and minority communities.
The coalition warns about potential obstacles created by the legislation for eligible voters. For instance, “80% of married women would not have a valid birth certificate under the SAVE Act because those women chose to adopt their partner’s last name,” according to the letter from the attorneys general. Additionally, “over 21 million voting-age citizens do not have ready access to a passport, birth record, or naturalization record.”
Concerns are also raised regarding administrative and financial burdens on state election systems if the act is implemented. The legislation mandates states to overhaul voter registration procedures and establish new document verification systems while imposing penalties up to five years in prison for mistakes made by election officials.
AG Ford and his colleagues urge congressional leaders to reject the SAVE Act in order to preserve accessible voting rights for all eligible Americans without compromising election integrity.
The coalition includes Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison as its lead member along with attorneys general from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.
