Potential Impacts of the SAVE Act on Voter Registration
A new legislative proposal, known as the SAVE Act, is currently being expedited by Republican members of the House of Representatives. This bill mandates that American citizens provide specific citizenship documents, such as a birth certificate or passport, when registering or re-registering to vote. The Brennan Center has highlighted that over 21 million Americans do not have easy access to these documents. This group largely consists of actively engaged voters who could be disenfranchised by the proposed changes.
Challenges for Active Voters
The SAVE Act differs from other restrictive voting measures as it significantly impacts current voters. In a 2023 survey conducted by the Brennan Center, it was found that about 64 percent of individuals lacking easy access to citizenship documents were registered voters. Among these, 60 percent confirmed their participation in the 2020 election. Consequently, around 12 million citizens who voted in 2020 might find themselves unable to register if the legislation passes. This is a concern given that approximately 12 percent of Americans move each year, as reported by the Census Bureau, necessitating re-registration.
The potential impact is bipartisan, affecting 8 percent of Democrats and 7 percent of Republicans who voted in 2020 and lack easy access to citizenship documentation. This indicates that millions could be excluded from future elections due to relocation without the necessary documentation.
Registration Process Overhaul
The SAVE Act would alter voter registration practices, potentially requiring tens of millions of Americans to present citizenship documents in person before the 2028 election. Historical data from the Election Administration and Voting Survey reveals that over 91 million citizens registered or updated their registration in the two years leading up to the 2020 election, with 70 million repeating this process before the 2022 election. These figures are significant, considering there were just over 220 million registered voters during those periods.
The Act demands in-person documentation presentation for those registering by mail, and it implicitly affects online and drive registration methods, which are often categorized similarly to mail registrations. More than 37 million people used these popular methods for registration or updates before the 2020 election, and an additional 17 million did so before the 2022 midterms. These methods accounted for approximately one-third of all registrations in that timeframe, compared to the 7.7 million who registered at election offices between 2018 and 2020, which decreased to 4 million before 2022.
While some citizens might adapt to alternative registration mechanisms, many could be deterred by the in-person requirement. Research indicates a clear link between easy registration processes and increased voter rolls. Without access to online or mail registration, some citizens might refrain from registering and consequently from voting.
