In my family, voting is more than just a right. It’s a lifeline.
My parents were Arkansas sharecroppers until 1951. My father confronted his boss for not paying fair wages at the agricultural measuring station. Under the threat from the KKK, he left town in a hay-covered wagon, so he was not found. Three months later, after months of threats of violence from the clan at our home, the rest of our family was on that same wagon on our way to us to join California.
Only when we settled in Los Angeles could our parents register for the vote, but ultimately they were relieved of the fear of violent, fatal retaliation that such simple acts would be triggered across Jim Crow South.
I will never forget my family’s experience of discrimination and the Southern vigilantes. In particular, as Congress considers the Save Act, the House has now recently approved the Save Act, pose as opposed to prevent illegal voting. This is a question that is underpinned by impossible, rare, but unfounded narratives.
When passed by the Senate and signed into law, the real effect of this law is to disenfranchise millions of voters nationwide and across California.
Americans should not be fooled by fear and misleading rhetoric. The Save Act has one true intention. It’s silence to millions of eligible voters. This initiative lists several groups that are affected by those who have intentionally changed their last name, those who have changed their last name and those who serve our military. This proposal is undemocratic and unconstitutional.
It won’t stop there. The bill serves as a catalyst for unraveling the constitutional rights of decades of fierce battle. You don’t have to be born deep south to know that this is Jim Crow 2.0.
Some of our federal lawmakers are trying to steal their right to vote under the guise of a fake election request. Let’s be clear: voter fraud is virtually nonexistent.
Since 2021, only 12 voter fraud cases have been indicted in California, according to the conservative organisation, Heritage Foundation. National research confirms that voter spoofing is extremely rare and that most claims are rooted in administrative errors rather than deceit. Even if you believe that illegal voting is a problem that requires a solution, the Save Act is like swaying by mosquitoes with a sledgehammer, which is not effective against your target and is unlikely to cause many collateral damages.
No matter which state’s new voters are registered, they must prove their US citizenship when they register. And all states will carry out voter list maintenance to identify potentially ineligible voters. The state already ensures that the vote is safe without disenfranchising vulnerable groups.
By adding unnecessary and burdensome document requirements, the SAVE Act prevents millions of Americans from participating in the election. That’s the key. Certain lawmakers hope that millions of citizens will decide to vote. The fewer people vote, the more likely some candidates will benefit.
This law either directly affects you, someone you know, or both. The most affected are:
Newly married or divorced individuals and others navigating name changes are military families far from home. A university student studying across state lineages. Disust Survivors – including the evacuation of tens of thousands of people this year by California wildfires – no significant documents.
By design, the Save Act places an incredible burden on millions of people who are already eligible to vote. And if they try to re-register for the vote, they will face Hercules’ work. State offices across the country are flooded by millions of people seeking citizenship documents.
Many seniors may not be in line for hours. Citizens with disabilities may be effectively prohibited from obtaining documents.
If you have a current passport, you may be lucky, but about 140 million Americans don’t have it. And your California driver’s license or Realid won’t work. Neither qualifies as evidence of citizenship.
Even before the Save Act landed in the Senate, California was fighting back against another push to deprive them of constitutional rights. On March 25, President Trump issued an executive order requiring citizens to provide evidence of citizenship on the federal mail voter registration form. I’m affiliated with California Atty. General Rob Bonta, to lead a lawsuit along with Nevada against unconstitutional and illegal executive orders. Seventeen other state attorney generals took part in our fight.
Throughout our country’s history, voting rights have been systematically reduced and voices remain silent, which means that powerful voices do not want to hear. From the poll taxes that were repealed by the 24th amendment in 1964 to the barriers dismantled by the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the fight against deliberate disenfranchisation.
We cannot make serious arguments about the Save Act actually encouraging people to vote, nor can we ensure that eligible people can exercise their right to participate in our democracy. It is intended to keep people away from voting. That’s an old story. Ask my family that they live in the south.
Some lawmakers do not seem convenient about the constitutional rights of minorities, our military, women, poor or rural citizens.
The Senate needs to stop this nonsense on its track. You can help. Contact your US Senator today and urge them to oppose the Save Act. Educate your friends, family and the community about the true intentions of this bill. Participate in local voter registration drives to support organizations fighting voter suppression. Your voice is important. Use it to protect your democracy.
California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber oversees all federal and state elections in the state.
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