The House of Representatives recently passed HR 22, the SAVE Act, and it now moves to the Senate for consideration. This legislation poses a significant threat to voting rights and democratic participation across the United States. If enacted, the SAVE Act would severely undermine voter engagement efforts, particularly in AAPI communities and other communities of color.
What Would the SAVE Act Do?
The SAVE Act would impose burdensome and unnecessary barriers to voter registration, including:
Requiring all voters to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship in person when registering to vote or updating their registration—including common updates like name changes, address changes, or switching party affiliation.
Effectively eliminating online and mail-in voter registration for voters unable to present citizenship documentation in person.
Rendering community-led voter registration drives nearly impossible by requiring documentation to be shown directly to a government official.
Disenfranchising tens of millions of eligible voters, including more than 21 million U.S. citizens who currently lack access to a passport or birth certificate.
Creating disproportionate barriers for women, particularly the estimated 69 million women who have changed their name after marriage or divorce—many of whom would no longer be able to register with a birth certificate alone. Hundreds of thousands of AAPI women would face this same predicament.
Further Impacts to the AAPI Community
Research from Demos highlights that voter registration drives are especially critical for communities of color, including AAPIs, who are nearly twice as likely to register to vote through these efforts compared to white voters. Third-party registration drives are particularly successful because they are community-initiated and involve direct personal contact and encouragement.
It’s important to note:
- Non-citizens are already prohibited by law from voting in federal elections, and there has been so little evidence of non-eligible voters casting ballots in federal elections to justify these extreme restrictions.
- The SAVE Act addresses a nonexistent problem with measures that would do real harm to eligible voters in our communities. Many eligible voters in our community do not have easy access to documents needed to meet SAVE Act requirements.
Take Action!
Now is the time to speak out. We urge you to:
Call your Senator and ask them to vote NO on the SAVE Act.
Mobilize your community—tell your friends, family, and networks to do the same!
Stay informed by subscribing to our newsletter to keep updated on activations and mobilization efforts.
