I have never lived in a world where my right to vote, as a woman, was threatened. Until now. And I am here to ring the alarm bell. 

For weeks I have been stewing in my outrage over the SAVE ACT which has now passed the House and is on its way to the Senate.  Although it is being disguised as a “national security” bill to quell supposed fears of non-existent illegal voting, what it really does is strategically and purposefully disenfranchise millions of voters, most of them women. 

First of all, it is already illegal for non-citizens to vote, and election audits have proven that attempts at illegal voting by non-citizens are extremely rare despite unsubstantiated claims to the contrary. Either way, the law already exists and the penalties for illegal voting are harsh.  So this bill does nothing new for that effort.  It is all smoke and mirrors to distract us from its more sinister intention.

What it does do, is essentially create a poll tax for the 79% of women who have changed their name when they married and makes it harder in general for everyone to vote. In order to register to vote (or change your registration if you move) you will be required to provide, in person, either an original birth certificate or a passport and the name on the birth certificate must match your photo ID.  (and NO, your government issued Real ID does NOT satisfy the requirements for proof of citizenship required with this bill)

The first problem with that, is that most married women have changed their birth name to their husband’s last name.  (Or in my case where BOTH of us changed our last names when we married, effectively screwing BOTH of us with this bill).

I have seen people minimizing this by saying they will certainly accept other corroborating documents like a marriage license.  Respectfully, assuming that, when it is not spelled out in the bill (on PURPOSE) is part of the problem.  Even if that was true, who wants to have to show up with a binder full of documents?! All of which you have to PAY to get certified copies of and then wait for the GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE.  The SAME government that wants to see the documents they ALREADY HAVE. The same government that is dismantling the very agencies we have to provide those documents! If they truly did not intend to disenfranchise women, they would have included other forms of ID plainly spelled out in the bill not just 2.  And frankly, they wouldn’t even have created this bill at all!

The other issue is that it leaves all of this up for INTERPRETATION by the states. This is a problem on SO many levels. I cannot even write out all of the reasons INTERPRETATION is a BAD thing. But let’s start with the fact that this bill would almost certainly be rolled out in different ways for different people.  For example, how would one state accepting marriage licenses and other states NOT accepting that, seem fair or equitable? In addition, it will become confusing and create chaos leaving elections up for legal challenges as outcomes hang in the balance just like what is happening in NC right now.

Even if they DID state clearly what forms of ID they would accept, expanded that list and removed all interpretation, the bill STILL forces people to pay for documents and be inconvenienced to provide them.  It is just building more walls to deter people from voting at all.

Now you may be saying “But I have a passport so I will be ok” Yes. I have a passport, but I don’t say that here in the same way I don’t say “But I don’t have a uterus anymore” in regards to abortion rights.  These bills affect all of us even if we think they don’t.  Just because YOU will be OK does not mean others will. When one of us loses rights, all of us lose rights. This bill will affect the ability of more than half the population who don’t have or can’t afford a passport, to VOTE.  That means less people able to have their voices heard at the ballot box. That is intentional and calculated.

This bill will also force everyone to register in person. No more online or mail registrations and would eliminate voter drives. Who has time for that?  Who has time to gather all the documents you need, PAY for all of them and then show up to stand in line at a Supervisor of Elections office to provide what THEY ALREADY HAVE!!

The bigger question here is why are they making it harder for people to vote?  In other countries you are registered automatically on your 18th birthday.  Not here.  We make it harder to vote and harder to CARE about voting. Again, intentional and calculated.

If this bill passes it will be the first time in the HISTORY of our country where Congress passed a law restricting hard fought and won voting rights.  We will be rolling back the clock AGAIN. It is almost as if the wealthy oligarchs want to make sure the hoi polloi have no say in elections.  To make certain that we have to spend all of our free time biting and clawing to get back rights earned a HUNDRED FUCKING YEARS AGO now lost in their ether, while they rape and pillage our society of its wealth for themselves.  And the one power we have to say NO to that bullshit peacefully and legally will be GONE.

Voting is not only our right and privilege.  It is our duty.  It is what so many fought for so that we ALL have a say in how our government is run.  To place more barriers in the way of that right, to silence the voice of the people, is unconscionable.

I urge all of you to do your research, ask questions, call your representatives and tell them this bill is unacceptable and if they pass it you will make damn sure you get every document required to VOTE THEM OUT.