Great Lakes Wire

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has joined 17 other attorneys general in opposing the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, represented in Congress as H.R. 22. The coalition expressed concern that the act imposes unnecessary proof-of-citizenship requirements, which they argue would disenfranchise millions of eligible voters across the United States.

The proposed legislation would amend the National Voter Registration Act to require documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration. “Michigan has fought tirelessly to ensure our elections are fair, accessible, and secure,” Nessel stated. “The SAVE Act threatens to unravel decades of progress by imposing costly, burdensome voter registration requirements designed not to protect democracy, but to suppress voter turnout."

The letter, addressed to House Speaker Michael Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, states that non-citizen voting is very rare, with studies indicating only 0.0001% of votes in high immigration areas cast by non-citizens. The attorneys general argue that the SAVE Act would mostly affect poor and minority communities.

The coalition warns of significant obstacles the legislation may create, including requiring expensive documentation like passports or birth certificates, and mandating in-person presentation of citizenship documents, which could hinder online registration systems. They also note it may particularly affect married women and active-duty service members.

The attorneys general emphasize the administrative and financial burden the Act would place on state election systems. It would necessitate a restructuring of voter registration procedures and the development of new document verification systems, with penalties for mistakes made by election officials.

Attorney General Nessel and her colleagues urge Congress to reject the SAVE Act to preserve accessible voting rights. Joining Nessel in this appeal are Attorney General Keith Ellison of Minnesota, who led the coalition, and the attorneys general from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawai’i, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.