Alex Gonzalez
Congress could soon vote on the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE Act. Lawmakers say it's designed to keep undocumented immigrants from voting, but it's raising concerns as voting rights advocates say it could keep many in Arizona from casting ballots. House Republicans claim the bill is aimed at weeding out election fraud. But studies show it is nearly non-existent. If passed, citizens would be required to show in person documentation for federal elections.
Sarah Harris, director of media engagement with Stand Up America, said many states already use state and federal data to verify identities.
"So what we are getting is a bill that would actually prevent millions of eligible American citizens from registering to vote by requiring everyone to show up, in person, with a passport or a birth certificate," she explained.
Since 2013, Arizona voters have had to provide documents proving their citizenship to vote in state and local elections. There are more than 3.5 million Arizonans who don't have a valid passport and close to 1.5 million women in the state that don't have a birth certificate that matches their current legal name, according to the Center for American Progress. The SAVE Act would also require all voters to travel to their designated election office. Voters in rural Mohave County could spend close to eight hours on a round trip to get to their closest election office.
Harris said some states, such as Kansas, enacted legislation similar to the SAVE Act and claims more than 30,000 eligible citizens were blocked from registering to vote. She calls that bad for democracy.
"Our members have sent over 60,000 emails to lawmakers to voice their opposition to this bill. We've also - are starting calls and ads and anything to make sure that people know what is happening and that lawmakers are being contacted because there is a lot coming out of Washington these days," Harris continued.
Harris said groups like hers are concerned about what she calls a "dangerous bill," and considers the current system efficient at ensuring integrity.
