Save voting rights from the SAVE Act

Last week, House Republicans passed a blatant voter suppression bill that, like a recent executive order by President Trump, seeks to undermine citizens’ constitutional right to access the ballot box. This isn’t just dangerous — it’s fundamentally un-American. Our nation was founded on the rejection of a king’s rule and the idea that the people have the right to choose our leaders without fear or coercion.

The Republicans’ so-called SAVE Act will undermine our elections system, weaken American democracy and unfairly suppress millions of eligible citizens from voting. These efforts often come cloaked in fearmongering and unfounded conspiracy theories from election-deniers in a desperate bid to rewrite history. It is already illegal for non-citizens to vote, so if they’re truly interested in elections integrity, then we should focus on well-known interferences coming from foreign adversaries overseas, not suppressing American citizens from accessing the ballot box.

To register to vote under this bill, American citizens will be forced to provide a passport or birth certificate that matches their current legal name. Passports cost money and take time and effort to get, which is why 150 million American citizens don’t have one. For nearly 70 million women who changed their name after marriage, their birth certificate doesn’t match their current name. Most also wouldn’t be able to use just their driver’s license alone to update voting registration or change their address.

So to be clear — if you can’t afford a passport, Republicans don’t want you to vote.

If you’re a married woman who changed your last name, Republicans don’t want you to vote.

If you’re a college student whose birth certificate is back home, Republicans don’t want you to vote.

If you’re a voter in a rural area, Republicans don’t want you to vote.

America made immense progress during the civil rights movement. Do we really want to regress to discriminatory voter suppression policies that essentially function like a poll tax and do nothing to protect the integrity of our elections? At their core, these actions are designed to manipulate our elections to favor one party, and are in a word, undemocratic. We cannot and must not normalize efforts to undermine the integrity of our elections.

Regardless of political party, we must stand united in the belief that every American citizen should have the right to participate in the democratic process. We must defend the fundamental cornerstone of our democracy: the right to vote.

California has been a leader in expanding citizens’ access to the ballot box. Trump’s recent executive order seeks to infringe on the authority of states and localities to administer their elections. When I served in the California Assembly, I focused on defending and expanding voting rights. I authored a bill that allowed San Mateo County to serve as a pilot program for all registered voters to be able to return their ballot by mail, and I supported legislation that brought this model statewide. This simply gives citizens additional options for how they want to cast their ballot — in person, by mail or drop off at a ballot box — and leads to a more inclusive and accessible voting system.

Our nation’s strength lies in the belief that the people, not any one individual or political party, should govern. Let us ensure that this principle is upheld — for ourselves, and for future generations. We must protect the right to vote with the same vigilance and dedication that the framers of our Constitution showed in establishing it.

I believe wholeheartedly in expanding voting rights and I’ll remain committed to that principle every day I’m serving in Congress. But true democracy isn’t just about what happens on Capitol Hill. Each and every one of us has an important role to play, and the American public is the true defender of our democracy. So speak out, find a local organization you can join, call your friends or family who live in Republican districts and ask them to call their representatives, and if you’re eligible to vote, when it comes time, vote.  

Kevin Mullin represents California’s 15th Congressional District, which includes most of San Mateo County and part of San Francisco.