Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski has come out with a warning for her fellow GOP lawmakers against President Trump’s election reform bill, saying that it would federalize elections and usurp the authority of states.
Trump’s SAVE Act would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship before someone could be registered to vote. The proof would have to comply with the REAL ID Act of 2005. The Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan law and policy organization, estimated that up to 21 million American citizens might not have the documents the act requires readily available.
“When Democrats attempted to advance sweeping election reform legislation in 2021, Republicans were unanimous in opposition because it would have federalized elections, something we have long opposed,” Murkowski, R-Alaska stated. “Once again, I do not support these efforts.”
Murkowski noted that the U.S. Constitution states that regulate the “times, places, and manner” of holding federal elections. She also wrote that “one-size-fits-all mandates from Washington, D.C., seldom work in places like Alaska.”
International Business Times has reached out to Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s office for comment on Murkowski’s opposition to the GOP-backed SAVE Act.
REAL ID compliant documents include passports, birth certificates, and a military ID. People can get a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license, but that requires visiting the Department of Motor Vehicles in person with proof of identity, such as your Social Security number, and multiple proofs of address.
“Roughly half of Americans don’t even have a passport. Millions lack access to a paper copy of their birth certificate. The SAVE Act would disenfranchise Americans of all ages and races, but younger voters and voters of color would suffer disproportionately,” the Brennan Center wrote. “Likewise, millions of women whose married names aren’t on their birth certificates or passports would face extra steps just to make their voices heard.”
The SAVE Act would bar states from registering individuals to vote with out meeting REAL ID compliance. It also requires the purging of voter rolls of “noncitizens.” The act also “allows for a private right of action against an election official who registers an applicant to vote in a federal election who fails to present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship.”
The bill also establishes criminal penalties for certain offenses.
“Election Day is fast approaching. Imposing new federal requirements now, when states are deep into their preparations, would negatively impact election integrity by forcing election officials to scramble to adhere to new policies likely without the necessary resources,” Murkowski wrote. “Ensuring public trust in our elections is at the core of our democracy, but federal overreach is not how we achieve this.”
