A Core Difference Between Democrats and Republicans

We Believe in Voting. They are Afraid of It.

Our democracy is under attack from many directions, but none is more fundamental than the threat to the right to vote. The SAVE Act is perhaps the most dangerous when it comes to stifling the ability of citizens to exercise their right to vote. Sponsored by 91 Republicans and no Democrats (that should tell you something) it is on the fast-track for enactment. 

On its face, the bill seems logical enough: it would require all Americans to provide in person proof of citizenship when registering to vote. But it is a solution in search of a problem – there is no evidence of widespread voting fraud. Moreover, federal law already makes it a crime, punishable by up to five years in prison, for a non-U.S. citizen to register to vote. And election officials use state and federal databases to verify citizenship. 

 The problem is that requiring an original birth certificate, passport, or one of a few other citizenship documents every time people register or re-register to vote (including after a change of address or name) will greatly suppress voting. Survey data indicates that over 21 million American citizens don’t have these documents readily available. And it will disproportionately impact married women who no longer have citizenship documents which match their legal name. According to the Center for American Progress as many as 69 million married women who changed their last names do not have birth certificates that reflect their legal names. 

 Most importantly, the bill would preclude popular methods of voter registration, such as registration by mail, online registration, automatic registration, and voter registration drives. These are available in most states, but not, for example, in Arizona and Kansas, where proof of citizenship requirements have blocked tens of thousands of their citizens from registering.

 If Congress wants to protect the integrity of voting, it should enact the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (“JLVRAA). This would restore the Voting Rights Act of 1965 after it was gutted by the Supreme Court over the last decade. It would reinstate the critical pre-clearance requirement in parts of the country with a history of voting rights violations. Any change in election laws or polling places would need to be pre-approved by the Justice Department or a federal court. 

 There is so much more that can be done to promote voting instead of suppressing it. The Freedom to Vote Act, which Democrats introduced in prior Congresses, would mandate automatic and same-day registration procedures and expand voting access through vote-by-mail and early voting measures. It would facilitate voting on Election Day by establishing it as a federal holiday. It would guarantee the right of former felons to vote in federal elections. And it would make it a crime to corruptly interfere with a person registering to vote. In short, the Freedom to Vote Act would help ensure that all qualified U.S. citizens could readily exercise their right to vote.

 The core tenet of a Democracy is the right to vote. What are Republicans afraid of?