Nearly 60 bipartisan election officials from across the country are expressing their opposition to the SAVE Act (H.R. 22, S. 128) — federal legislation expected to be voted on in the House of Representatives this week that would require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections.
In a letter addressed to members of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee and the House Administration Committee, election officials said the SAVE Act “places unfunded, operationally unrealistic, and legally precarious burdens on election offices across the country.”
According to the officials, many of whom are members of Issue One’s Faces of Democracy initiative, proposed changes mandated by the SAVE Act “represent a major administrative undertaking that would be shouldered entirely by local election offices — many of which operate under tight budgets and limited personnel.”
“States already have systems in place to verify voter identity, and many have backend processes to confirm citizenship status,” the letter states. “As election officials, our priority is to conduct secure, efficient, and well-organized elections. The SAVE Act places an unfunded, unworkable, and legally risky burden on election administrators without offering the necessary resources or implementation support. We urge you to oppose this bill and instead work with election officials to develop policies that strengthen election security without jeopardizing administrative efficiency or exposing election personnel to legal liability.”
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