Deeper Dive: The SAVE Act
A direct threat to our right to vote
Your Call to Action
A very important bill has made its way through the US House and is now onto the Senate. And everyone’s fundamental right to vote is being threatened!
What happens with the Save Act…
- The Save Act would exclude millions of eligible Americans from registering and voting because of the extreme documentation requirements. There are about 12 million Americans who voted in the 2020 election but would be functionally unable to register to vote if the Save Act were passed.
-The Save Act would effectively eliminate mail and online voter registration by requiring all applicants to present documentation proof of citizenship in person. Over 7 million voters in the 2022 election did so by mail.
-Most Americans would not be able to register to vote using their drivers license alone. Only enhanced drivers license are accepted, which are available in only five states. Proof of citizenship would be required with a passport, birth certificate, or Naturalizer papers. Millions of engaged voters lack ready access to these documents.
-The Save Act would also make it more difficult for many women to be eligible to vote. It would require a passport or birth certificate as proof of voting eligibility. If you changed your name when married, your birth certificate has your maiden name and cannot be used as voter ID so women would require a passport.
-These documentary proof of citizenship laws are in Arizona and Kansas. They have disenfranchised thousands of eligible voters. 35,000 voters in Arizona were barred from voting. 200,000 voters were affected in Kansas. 31,000 citizens were blocked from registering to vote.
-The Save Act has been passed in the House and is headed to the Senate.
-It is crucial to call your Senators today to protect our voting rights!!!
Senator Peters: 202.224.6221
Senator Slotkin: 202.224.4822
We love getting our “I Voted” stickers… but will you be able to vote and receive one in the next election? Will your neighbor? Call Senator Peters and Senator Slotkin NOW and tell them to vote NO on the Save Act.
VOTING depends on it.
WILL YOU SHARE YOUR STORY?
Indivisible Greater Grand Rapids is looking for stories on how you’ve been affected by DOGE, the cuts and any of the other drastic measures MAGA has been taking. Our goal is to share these so that others can learn about what is really happening and demonstrate that no one is alone; what affects you affects me too.
If you’re able to share your story (and you don’t have to state your name) - consider filling out our simple form. And - feel free to also share it with your Michigan and US Legislators. Even our Governor. You can find all of the contact info you need right here on our Substack website page - Resources for You.
Parting Words
At the close of the Banned Book event this past Sunday, the moderator of the event read this poem to all who had gathered:
INAUGURATION 2025
In a time of hate
Love is an act of resistance.
In a time of fear,
Faith is an act of resistance.
In a time of misinformation,
Education is an act of resistance.
In a time of poor leadership,
Community is an act of resistance.
In a time like this,
Joy is an act of resistance!
- Loryn Brantz
I guess I’m lucky. I have a passport,so if they deregister me, I can reregister. But don't believe they won't find other ways to take away women's votes! This is not a game of one-upmanship. This is our lives!
Great deep dive on the SAVE Act. Long before the GOP dreamed up the SAVE Act, ‘literacy tests’ and other ‘legal’ barriers were used to block millions from the ballot. My latest post, “The Fine Print of Suppression”, uncovers this old playbook and shows how today’s ‘proof of citizenship’ demands are just new wrapping on the same scheme. If you care about democracy, don’t miss my deep dive into the long history—and alarming future—of voter suppression. https://forgottenfiles.substack.com/p/the-fine-print-of-suppression