The U.S. House of Representatives recently approved the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, a piece of legislation that seeks to tighten citizenship verification in federal elections. The bill, however, has been met with resistance from Democrats and President Biden who have decried it as racially biased and xenophobic.
The SAVE Act
The SAVE Act passed the House by 221-198 votes on Wednesday, garnering support from five Democrats. The bill proposes significant changes to current election procedures including requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration. Presently, there are no such requirements resulting in non-citizens receiving voting forms across 49 states according to a New York Post report.
Implications of the Legislation
If enacted, state officials would be able to accept diverse documents easing citizen registration for federal elections. Additionally, it would grant states access to federal databases to remove noncitizens from voter rolls and verify individuals’ citizenship status lacking proof of citizenship. Moreover, the Department of Homeland Security would be empowered to decide on removal proceedings if a non-citizen is found registered for federal elections.
New Provisions for Naturalized Citizens
The act also mandates the DHS to inform state chief election officials whenever an individual gains naturalization ensuring newly naturalized citizens exercise their voting rights.
Allegations of Non-Citizen Voting
U.S. Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), sponsor of the bill, claimed that there is ample evidence pointing towards noncitizen participation in federal elections.
Opposition and Controversy
Despite its passage through the House, President Biden vowed to veto the bill while U.S. Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA) likened it to Jim Crow poll tax laws. The White House issued a statement opposing the bill arguing that safeguards already exist to verify voters’ eligibility and maintain voter roll accuracy.
Public Opinion on Citizenship Verification
A 2022 poll revealed that a majority of Americans, about 65 percent, favor requiring proof of citizenship for voting. This includes 48 percent of Democrats, 62 percent of swing voters, and 88 percent of Republicans.
Criticism from Elon Musk
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, labeled Democrats opposing the bill as “traitors,” arguing that the current system combined with mail-in ballots makes it challenging to prove fraud. He suggested that in-person voting stations equipped with cameras could help prevent large-scale fraud.
When combined with mail-in ballots, the system is *designed* to make it impossible to prove fraud.
Mail-in and drop box ballots should not be allowed, as cameras on the in-person voting stations would at least prevent large-scale fraud by counting how many people showed up vs…
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 8, 2024
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“The bill, however, has been met with resistance from Democrats and President Biden who have decried it as racially biased and xenophobic.”
The Demented One is getting desperate and trying to come up with any excuse.