THE ‘SAVE’ ACT ENDANGERS WOMEN VOTERS
Does the name on your birth certificate match the name you go by today? Or did your last name change when you married?
If the names don’t match, the federal SAVE Act (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility) would require proof on paper that you are a U.S. citizen before you can register to vote or update your voter registration information. You’d have to dig up your birth certificate or show a passport or some other proof of citizenship. This is totally unnecessary, as state election officials already have systems in place to verify your status as a citizen.
The SAVE Act is simply legislation playing politics. Half of us in this country don’t own passports. Your birth certificate may have drowned in a flood. And if you’re a married woman who took her husband’s name, good luck hunting for the right pieces of paper to prove you are you. In fact, the SAVE Act makes no mention of being able to show a marriage certificate or change-of-name documentation.
Women and citizens of color are most vulnerable to this kind of discrimination. The Center for American Progress notes that as many as 69 million women who have taken their spouse’s name do not have a birth certificate matching their legal name.
CALL OR WRITE YOUR REPRESENTATIVE AND SENATORS AND TELL THEM TO VOTE NO! ON THE SAVE ACT
Find your U.S. Representative’s and Senators’ contact information here
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