The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, introduced by Rep. Chip Roy (TX-21), will drastically change the way Americans register to vote by requiring new proof of citizenship. The legislation intentionally excludes commonly used documents, like marriage licenses or name change records, that many women rely on when updating their voter registration after marriage or divorce. The practical impact is citizens who have changed their last names, even those who have been legally voting for decades, would require passports or birth certificates that match their current names in order to register to vote.

President Trump also signed an Executive Order very similar in substance to the SAVE Act. This EO would have the same disastrous impact as the SAVE Act: disenfranchising women voters. It is patently illegal and should be overturned by the courts.

As the Policy Co-Chair of the Democratic Women's Caucus, I led a letter with my colleagues expressing our grave concerns with the SAVE Act and how it will make voting harder and more expensive for millions of our citizens. 

Last month, I hosted a roundtable discussion with local voting rights leaders and voters about how the SAVE Act will hurt the people of Wake County. This bill, in addition to disenfranchising millions of eligible voters, would subject non-compliant election officials to hefty fines and up to five years in federal prison, even if voters they register are American citizens. Wake County leaders are united in ensuring that North Carolina has safe, secure elections. This bill is simply not the answer.