A Republican-backed election law would make it more difficult for married women to vote, according to experts.
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is one of the officials raising concerns about the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote, and she said the bill would target who change their names after they get married, reported MLive.
"Who is the SAVE Act most likely to silence?" Benson says in a video uploaded this week. "Married women – especially married women."
Benson, a Democrat, said more than 2.2 million married women in Michigan had adopted their spouse's surname, and she said the GOP bill would require them to provide additional documentation if their ID name did not match their birth certificate.
“If those women who have changed their names don’t have an updated U.S. passport — and more than 5.8 million Michigan adults don’t — they might not be able to register,” Benson says in the video.
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The bill's sponsor, Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), said the specific requirements for that documentation would be determined by individual states.
“Many might not have noticed how broadly the bill could apply — its show-your-papers requirement is not just limited to new registrations but rather applies to every ‘application to register to vote,’ which in many jurisdictions includes re-registrations and changes of address," stated a report on the measure issued by the Brennan Center for Justice. “And tens of millions of Americans register or re-register between every federal election.”
Voters would be required to register in person and provide proof of citizenship by showing a passport or birth certificate, along with a photo ID, and Benson said the changes would also create barriers for Black, low-income and rural voters, as well as college students.
“We can and we must take every reasonable action to ensure only U.S. citizens are voting, but the SAVE Act is not a reasonable effort,” Benson said.
