By targeting ‘non-issues’, the SAVE Act diverts efforts addressing true voter participation obstacles. 

Midterm season in the U.S. is approaching, sparking consistent desires by policymakers to reform electoral participation. Despite uneven voter turnout and structural barriers that inhibit equitable participation, lawmakers’ priorities lie elsewhere. 

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, commonly known as the SAVE Act, is a federal legislative proposal that would amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require individuals registering to vote to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship, such as a birth certificate or passport, to be presented in person to a government office, rather than the current online registration option. 

While this increased security in fair elections may seem like progress toward election integrity, citizenship has rarely influenced voter accessibility. Proclaiming that substantial reform derives from needless efforts such as the SAVE Act not only creates false confidence in American election reform but also diverts resources from addressing actual issues.  

Election laws are already very strict; currently, under the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, it is a federal crime for noncitizens to register or vote in elections, and it can result in criminal penalties, fines, and deportation. 

Noncitizen voting isn’t impossible. However, the resources our government dedicates to mitigating this crisis should be proportional to the actual level of danger posed. By creating provisions in this act that target ‘non-issues’, more pressing barriers to voting are instead neglected. 

For instance, policymakers could recruit more poll workers, diversify language accessibility, or improve ballot curing efficiency. According to the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the number of polling places nationwide decreased by 100,000 between 2018 and 2022. This shift disproportionately affected communities of color, low-income voters, and voters with disabilities; yet the SAVE Act overlooks this barrier entirely. 

The failure to prioritize what truly prevents civic engagement allows lawmakers to blatantly take credit for mitigating an issue, even as more voting barriers remain in place. The SAVE Act only decreases overall voter turnout by creating more systemic barriers and imposing burdens to address a violation that rarely occurs. 

The number of registered voters will continue to decline under these stringent regulations, as around 21 million Americans of voting age lack immediate access to documentation proving their citizenship. College students do not regularly carry their passports or birth certificates, often leaving them with their parents. Students who study abroad, change their address, or move frequently are limited by the SAVE Act, as it requires proof of permanent residence for citizens. In rural areas, the nearest government office may be hours away; it’s no surprise if the SAVE Act’s in-person registration requirements deter voters from participating.  

Despite lawmakers’ claims, noncitizen voting is not a threat. Vote.org describes a Utah study that reviewed over 2 million registered voters to determine the frequency of noncitizen voting. The results indicated that, among this pool, only one confirmed case of noncitizen registration occurred, and none of the cases showed noncitizen voting. The Heritage Foundation has additionally maintained a database of election fraud occurrences across the U.S. since 1992; only 98 cases of ineligible noncitizen voting have been recorded. 

Lawmakers are developing policies that target fewer than 100 cases of noncitizen voting but sacrifice millions of votes in return. This agenda is irrational and a distraction disguised as policy advancement. 

It’s easier to proclaim that citizenship is a leading barrier to voting, as the solutions can be solved with simple documentation requirements. With the already-existing regulations and dedication the Trump Administration holds regarding American citizenship, claiming that citizenship extends to voting is an easy scapegoat. Yet developing systemic solutions requires more action, such as opening more polling places, diversifying languages, and ensuring mail-in ballots are received. 

What this act does instead is foster the appearance of addressing threats to fair elections, while in actuality, there is little reform. We are being misled by lawmakers who are curating the illusion that citizenship is relevant to voter participation. President Trump and other Republican policymakers can now claim they took steps toward voter reform. In reality, this is only preventing actual barriers to voter suppression from being addressed. 

I won’t dispute that election integrity is an essential priority for policymakers. Yet the irony lies in how the identified gaps preventing equitable voter participation are being neglected in favor of prioritizing such “non-issues”. Before initiating a civic engagement system that requires adherence to rigid regulations, the government must address the true gaps. 

Let’s not build a system of institutional red tape for voting. Creating more documentation and administrative requirements stalls progress; this has been proposed as a solution to several policy problems, yet increasing bureaucratic procedures only delays progress. 

We don’t need more documents or more steps. We need lawmakers who care about their constituents and represent the actual desires of Americans. 

A constitutional right should not be this difficult to exercise. By focusing heavily on managing ineligible votes, lawmakers are preventing more eligible voters from participating in civic engagement measures. The basis of our democracy is strengthened when eligible citizens can exercise their right to vote easily and with accessibility.