When Congress returns to Washington DC this week, debate is expected to resume on the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility or SAVE America Act.
All Texas GOP members of the House of Representatives and Democratic Representative Henry Cuellar voted in support of the latest version of the legislation, which requires proof of citizenship for voter registration.
Joyce LeBombard, president of the League of Women Voters in Texas, said if passed, the current version of the bill would require everyone have a passport or birth certificate to register to vote. She said that would make it harder for everyday citizens.
"Women, people with disabilities, rural people," said LeBombard, "people that have been impacted by natural disaster, people of Tribal background and people of color have more difficulty, or are less likely to have those documents readily available."
Supporters of the legislation say it will prevent non-citizens from registering to vote. Cuellar was one of four Democratic House members who voted in favor of the Act, saying only Americans should vote in elections.
Opponents of the bill say safeguards are already in place to keep non-citizens from voting in both federal and state elections and there is no proof widespread voter fraud exists.
LeBombard said the bill could also disenfranchise married women who want to register or change their voter registration status.
"Their ID, their passport, their voter ID will not match their birth certificate," said LeBombard. "So, all of those women now have to jump through that extra hoop."
She added that it would be hard for some people to get the required documents.
"One argument is, 'I got my passport, so can they, and it doesn’t cost all that much,'" said LeBombard. "But if you think about somebody who has multiple jobs just to survive... You’re causing millions of people inconvenience and disenfranchising them."
Source: Public News Service
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