The president continues to keep pressure on his party to pass the SAVE America Act after a 51-48 vote on March 17 bringing it to the Senate floor for further discussion. This bill would disenfranchise millions of voters and suppress the votes of millions more.
MAGAs are at podiums promoting this bill as a voter ID bill. They say, “What’s so ridiculous about having to prove who you are, having to show an ID?” We already do that in most states when we show up at the ballot box — we show our driver’s license.
However, this form of identification no longer would be utilized to vote or to register to vote, according to the SAVE America Act.
Julia Goldie Day
New voters or those moving, changing their name or those having names not matching their birth certificates will need to re-register to vote — effective immediately — with one of these burdensome new requirements:
- Photo identification which indicates the applicant is a U.S. citizen (from the REAL ID Act of 2005: only five states currently offer REAL IDs that confirm citizenship- New York, Washington, Vermont, Michigan, Minnesota)
- US passport
- Military ID card along with service record showing applicant’s place of birth is in the U.S.
- Any valid government photo ID (or Tribal) which lists the applicant’s place of birth was in the U.S. (even though none currently do this)
- Any valid government photo ID (or Tribal) which does not list the place of birth along with:
- Certified birth certificate (must match your current name)
- An extract from a U.S. hospital record of birth showing place of birth in the U.S.
- A final adoption decree showing your place of birth in the U.S.
- A Consular Report of Birth abroad or a Report of Birth for a U.S. citizen
- A Naturalization Certificate or Certificate of Citizenship
- An American Indian Card issued by the Secretary of Homeland Security with the classification “KIC”
To illustrate the challenge, I was married in 1999 in South Carolina to my spouse and changed my name from Julia Goldie to Julia Goldie Day. I now live in Tennessee, which is not one of the five states that offers REAL IDs that confirm U.S. citizenship. I do not have a passport. I will not be able to vote in a local, state or federal election if the SAVE America Act passes unless I apply for a U.S. passport with the certified documents I will need to supply to receive it.
The time that passes while I wait for my documents to arrive and the money I must pay disenfranchises me, like it will many other women, and those with less power and resources.
Republicans are targeting new voters who are young, women voters because we have changed our names (some men change their name in marriage and for other reasons as well), the transgender community, the elderly who tend to vote by mail, and people who are moving.
“Republicans benefit when people stay home.”
Yes, this will affect some of their own voters but as with all suppression strategies it causes confusion and keeps many voters away from the polls. Republicans benefit when people stay home. It’s also unconstitutional to effectively enact a poll tax which this law does to voters.
It is telling that Trump has openly said if the Republicans lose the midterms, he will be impeached.
This so-called “Save America Act” gives more power over elections at the federal level to the Department of Homeland Security. The new proposed leader at recent confirmation hearings, Markwayne Mullin, said he would be willing to station armed ICE officers at polls if there was a credible threat.
For the first time ever, voter rolls would be shared with the regime at the federal level. Mark Elias of Democracy Docket says the SAVE America Act will give the DOGE guys our sensitive data. The DOJ already is trying to illegally get this data.
Should a person be unable to provide appropriate documents and wish to vote on the day of elections, state election officials will be dependent on federal officials from DHS, Social Security Administration or other federal agencies to confirm citizenship within 24 hours —putting state election officials under immense pressure and fear of being prosecuted, which also could lead to votes being disallowed.
Remember these federal government agencies have been gutted by DOGE under the guise of fraud, waste and abuse and are understaffed.
Another false pretense of this bill is that it will prevent noncitizens from voting. It already is illegal to vote as a noncitizen. We already have a deterrent system in place for voter fraud. Voter rolls are verified and ineligible voters are purged. The Heritage Foundation Election Fraud Database (a right-wing organization with close ties to the Trump regime and Project 2025) identified 68 cases of fraud of noncitizens in the span of 40 years. The Brennan Center surveyed high immigrant-populated areas after the 2016 election and found just 30 cases of possible noncitizens voting from 23.5 million votes, 0.0001%.
In addition, mail-in voting also could be at risk, experts tell us, as the bill is unclear if paper copies of certified documents will be allowed.
Saturday, March 21, Democrats blocked an amendment to the bill to ban transgender women to participate in women’s sports which was pushed by the president. As if that has anything to do election integrity either.
Here’s the bottom line: The SAVE America Act only saves Donald Trump.
Julia Goldie Day is an ordained minister within the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and lives in Memphis, Tenn. She is a painter and proud mother to Jasper, Barak and Jillian. Learn more at her website or follow her on socials @JuliaGoldieDay.