The SAVE Act requires proof of identity and citizenship, which can be achieved with a government-issued ID and a birth certificate, or with a passport, or, for people whose birth certificate does not match their ID, an official copy of their change-of-name form
The Center for American Progress argues against the SAVE Act, which would require voters to prove both identity and citizenship, stating, “Nationwide, approximately 146 million American citizens do not possess a passport.
To put that number into perspective, 153 million Americans cast a ballot in the 2024 presidential general election.”
The implication is that everyone who currently does not have a passport is an eligible voter, that a passport would be the only acceptable way to register, and that there would be no way for those individuals to resolve the issue in the coming nine months.
Of course, none of that is true, apart from the number of people without a passport.
Reading articles on this subject and monitoring posts on X and other social media sites reveals a pattern: Democrats publish large, scary numbers of people who fit into various categories and then imply, or outright state, that all of them will be disenfranchised.
This ignores the fact that someone lacking a passport may still vote using a birth certificate and driver’s license.
It also assumes that married women whose birth certificate name differs from their driver’s license lack a change-of-name form, which they can obtain for a nominal fee from the same county courthouse where they registered their marriage.
The argument assumes that someone who lacks one document lacks all others, stacking statistics together into one huge number that supposedly proves no one can vote.
The inherently racist claim is that minorities and poor people lack ID. That is spurious. The bottom 30 percent of income earners are on some form of public assistance, and most must have a government ID or birth certificate to access those benefits.
According to the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement, only 2.6 million Americans, or 0.76 percent of the population, lack a government-issued photo ID of any kind.
It makes little sense to allow widespread mail-in voting and block identification requirements to accommodate what amounts to a rounding-error percentage of the population.
Argument 1. Democrats claim voter ID is voter suppression because a replacement birth certificate costs between $10 and $35.
Response – Only a percentage of people lack a birth certificate, and presumably many planned to replace it anyway. But even if not, who does not have $10 to $35? The bottom 30 percent of income earners are on public benefits. Because money is fungible, the state is effectively covering that cost.
Argument 2. In some states, it can take up to two weeks to obtain a replacement.
Response – That means that many states it takes less. Even where it takes longer, there are still nine months until the election.
Argument 3. The DMV could be 70 miles away.
Response – That applies to only a small percentage of people. They already had to go there to obtain a driver’s license for driving, identification, or benefits. The distance is irrelevant. Seventy miles is just over an hour by car.
Argument 4. Some people live 70 miles from the DMV, do not own a car, and cannot afford $60 for an Uber.
Response – If you’re claiming that there are many such people, four could share a ride and pay $15 each.
Argument 5. Only 50 percent of the population has a passport.
Response – That still means 50 percent do. In addition, passport non-ownership is heavily skewed toward minors, who are not eligible to vote. Among adults without passports, many possess birth certificates or other qualifying documents.
Argument 6. Some people cannot afford the luxury of getting a passport or birth certificate.
Response – It is not a luxury. It is a necessity. Just do it.
Argument 7. Some people cannot afford $130 for a passport.
Response – A driver’s license and birth certificate cost far less. Even choosing the passport route, it is valid for ten years, which works out to about $1 per month.
Argument 8. Voter ID is sexist because 69 million women have changed or hyphenated their surnames after marriage, along with 4 million men.
Response – Differences in outcome do not prove sexism. Anyone whose name on their ID does not match their birth certificate must provide documentation linking the two. A change-of-name form, obtainable for a nominal fee, solves that issue.
Argument 9. Should I go a whole month without food to pay for it?
Response – A passport is $130. A replacement birth certificate is $10 to $35. No one’s monthly food budget is $10 to $130. Even those on public benefits have more cash than that available.
The bottom line is that the problems Democrats cite are difficulties, not voter disenfranchisement. When Republicans face difficulties, we overcome them. Democrats should stop telling their constituents they are victims and instead encourage them to take responsibility for their lives.
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