Attorney General Tong, Coalition of AG's Urge Congress to Reject "Unlawful" Voter Eligibility Proposal
/Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, President of the National Association of Attorneys General, has joined a coalition of 12 attorneys general who are urging the U.S. Senate to reject the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act, warning that the legislation would unlawfully nationalize election administration, impose sweeping new barriers to voter registration, and disenfranchise millions of eligible Americans.
If enacted, the SAVE America Act would require Americans to present documentary proof of citizenship in person to register or update their voter information, effectively eliminating online, mail-in, and automatic voter registration nationwide.
In a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the coalition argues that the legislation is an unprecedented power grab that would strip states of their long-recognized authority over elections and dismantle modern voter registration systems that voters and election officials across the country rely on.
“We urge the Senate to reject the SAVE America Act and any executive efforts that seek to nationalize election administration, undermine state authority, or erect new barriers to the ballot box. Protecting democracy does not mean making it harder for eligible Americans to vote. It means investing in secure, accessible systems that uphold both integrity and participation,” the letter states.
“Our democracy is strongest when every eligible citizen can participate freely and fairly. We stand ready to work with Congress on solutions that support election security while respecting state sovereignty, constitutional principles and the fundamental right to vote,” Attorney General Tong and the coalition state in the letter, adding “Our nation’s history makes clear that when burdens are placed on registration and participation, communities of color, low income Americans, and working families pay the highest price.”
Joining Attorney General Tong in this letter, which was led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington.
The attorneys general warn that the SAVE America Act would eliminate online voter registration used by most states, as well as mail-in registration relied upon by service members and overseas voters. The legislation would also cripple automatic voter registration systems that help keep voter rolls accurate and secure.
As a result, the attorneys general argue, the SAVE America Act would disproportionately harm working-class Americans, rural voters, young people, and people whose legal names no longer match their birth certificates. They point out:
An estimated 21 million voting-age citizens lack ready access to a passport, birth certificate, or naturalization record, and
Nearly 80 percent of married women would not have documentation that reflects their current legal name.
The attorneys general emphasize that citizenship is already required to vote in federal elections and that states and the federal government already use robust systems to verify voter eligibility. They note that noncitizen voting is exceedingly rare and has never been shown to impact federal election outcomes, while documentary proof-of-citizenship requirements have repeatedly been shown to disenfranchise tens of thousands of eligible voters.
Attorney General Tong and the coalition urge the Senate to reject the SAVE America Act and oppose any effort to federalize election administration, calling on lawmakers to respect state sovereignty and protect Americans’ fundamental right to vote.
