As the state with the largest and most diverse population in the country, California would be devastated by the SAVE Act.
The bill would require a birth certificate or passport in order to register to vote, and more than 21 million adults -- including millions of Californians -- lack easy access to those documents. Half of all adults don't have a passport at all!2
Obtaining these documents requires time and money, which amounts to a modern-day poll tax that burdens working-class families already struggling with the cost of living.
Anyone who changed their name -- including married women and transgender people -- will be forced to obtain a passport with their new name or other documentation before they can cast their ballot. And for rural residents, active duty military personnel, and the elderly and disabled, the logistical barriers to accessing documents are even higher.
The SAVE Act is a direct attack on the strides California has made in expanding voter access, and a naked attempt to diminish our voting power. The SAVE Act would disrupt California’s successful “Motor Voter” programs, further denying election access for millions of Californians.3
The House of Representatives passed the SAVE Act this week, so we have no time to waste in convincing the U.S. Senate to vote it down.
Join us in telling your senators: Defending our voter power starts with defending our access to free and fair elections.
Thank you for being with us.
~Irene, along with Annie, Angela, Isidra, Cecilia, Jen, and Lindsay (the Courage team)
