Save America Act Raises Barriers That Disproportionately Harm Voters of Color
- 24 minutes ago
- 2 min read
The House’s passage of the Save America Act, by a narrow 218–213 vote, represents what many see as a sweeping attempt to reshape voting nationwide by requiring proof of citizenship at registration, imposing a strict national photo ID requirement, and limiting mail-in voting. While supporters frame the changes as commonsense safeguards, opponents warn the bill is built on a false premise. “I’m skeptical that the Senate will vote on this bill,” said Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, noting that even a previous version “hasn’t taken up” in the Senate.
Voting advocates argue the legislation creates barriers under the guise of security. Gideon Cohn-Postar of the Institute for Responsive Government said the bills are designed to “create the impression that there is something wrong in some states.” He explained that while “proof of citizenship… sounds reasonable,” in practice “it is incredibly difficult to do,” adding that voters already attest to their citizenship “on the penalty of perjury. That’s a very high standard, actually.” The added photo ID requirement, with a stricter list of acceptable identification that excludes student IDs, similarly appears straightforward until applied to mail registration and voting systems that would have to change immediately.
Civil rights organizations warn the real-world consequences would be severe. The Southern Poverty Law Center estimates that 21 million Americans lack a birth certificate or passport, documents that could be required under the new rules. Those without access are more likely to be low-income or people of color, raising alarms about disproportionate impact.
Rebekah Caruthers of Fair Elections Center urged observers to view the bill holistically: “We’ve got to look at this in its totality. The whole point of this is to restrict who gets to vote in this country.” She also warned that even if stalled federally, the measure signals encouragement to state lawmakers. “There are certain state legislatures that… are listening to what this president is saying,” she said, describing claims made “with no data to back up his claims.”