Voto Latino: SAVE Act Threatens Our Democracy with Exacting Precision by Undermining U.S. Citizens’ Voting Rights
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Voto Latino, the leading national organization dedicated to empowering Latino communities through civic engagement, is sounding the alarm on the House-passed Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which poses a direct threat to access to the ballot box—particularly for marginalized and underserved communities.
“Today, the Republican-controlled House voted to pass the SAVE Act—a bill that, under the false guise of election integrity, would disenfranchise millions of eligible voters across the country. This bill does nothing to improve election security. Let’s remember that both blue and red states have certified fair and free elections. What it does do is create unnecessary and burdensome hurdles for Americans trying to exercise their constitutional right to vote. It targets our communities—young Latinos, military service members abroad, married women who’ve changed their names, rural voters, and millions of Americans in ways that echo the disenfranchisement laws of the last century. The SAVE Act targets a multicultural America.”
What the SAVE Act Would Do
The SAVE Act would require individuals to present proof of U.S. citizenship—such as a passport, birth certificate, or naturalization certificate—in person when registering to vote or updating their voter registration. This requirement would disproportionately impact a wide range of Americans, despite there being no evidence of widespread non-citizen voting. A review of the 2016 election found that only 0.0001% of votes came from improper non-citizen voting.
Communities That Would Be Disenfranchised Under the SAVE Act
- U.S. Citizens Without Passports
Approximately 146 million Americans do not have a valid passport—one of the few documents acceptable under the SAVE Act. The cost to obtain a passport ranges from $65 to $195 per person, creating an additional financial barrier for many eligible voters. - American Women and Individuals with Name Changes
An estimated 69 million women and 4 million men do not have birth certificates matching their current legal name due to marriage or other changes—creating barriers to providing required documents. - Voters Without Access to Original Documentation
Roughly 21 million voting-age Americans lack ready access to documents like birth certificates or naturalization papers—especially those in lower-income or rural communities. - Latino Voters
Thirty percent of Latinos ages 18–29 have an ID that does not reflect their current name or address, making it more difficult to register to vote—even when eligible. Many Latinos in rural areas and older Latino voters rely on mail-in registration, which would be eliminated under the SAVE Act. In 2020, 51% of Hispanic voters cast their ballots by mail. These voters already face lower registration rates, and this bill would only deepen the gap. - Military and Civilian Americans Abroad
U.S. citizens overseas—particularly uniformed service members—often register to vote using the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) via mail, fax, or email. In the 2020 U.S. General Election, approximately 1.2 million absentee ballots were transmitted to military and overseas voters. Under the SAVE Act, these methods would no longer be valid, potentially disenfranchising thousands.
A Proven Threat to Democracy
We have already seen what happens when similar legislation is enacted. States like Arizona and Kansas implemented laws resembling the SAVE Act, resulting in thousands of eligible voters being purged or denied access to the ballot.
“The SAVE Act does not protect elections—it undermines them. It sows distrust in our democratic system while silencing the voices of those who are lawfully entitled to vote.
Voto Latino calls on members of the U.S. Senate to reject the SAVE Act in its entirety. We urge allied organizations, voting rights groups, and community leaders to mobilize and speak out against this legislation before it becomes law.
Democracy thrives on access—not exclusion. A healthy, robust democracy demands the nurture of the vote by all eligible citizens. We must protect the right of every eligible voter to be heard.”
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Voto Latino is a civic advocacy organization dedicated to educating and empowering the next generation of Latino voters while working to build a more inclusive and representative democracy. Since its founding, Voto Latino has registered nearly two million voters. In 2024, the organization took legal action to protect voting rights, filing multiple lawsuits in Texas, Arizona, and North Carolina to safeguard access to the ballot ahead of the elections.