Tell Lawmakers: Protect our voting rights

The Trump administration and GOP lawmakers in the U.S. Congress and the Michigan Legislature are trying to dismantle our democracy, strip voting rights from millions of eligible voters, and create unnecessary barriers to the ballot box. 

At the federal level, the MAGA-backed SAVE Act would require all Americans to provide specific documentation – such as a passport or birth certificate – to prove their citizenship when registering to vote or updating their voter registration information. This process would need to be completed in person, effectively eliminating online and mail-in voter registration methods.

At the state level, House Joint Resolution B (HJR B) introduced by Michigan GOP lawmakers would similarly create unnecessary new barriers for Michigan voters by requiring additional proof of citizenship when registering to vote or updating voter registration, also requiring the process to be completed in person. 

Requirements to prove U.S. citizenship to vote are already in place in Michigan and across the country. The federal SAVE Act and Michigan’s HJR B are nothing more than obvious attempts to disenfranchise millions of American voters, and could have far-reaching impacts if passed:

• Disenfranchisement of voters without passports: Over 140 million American citizens do not possess a passport. Requiring such documentation for voter registration.

• Challenges for married women: Approximately 69 million American women who have changed their surnames after marriage may find discrepancies between their birth certificates and current legal names, complicating the voter registration process. =

• Elimination of accessible registration methods: Mandating in-person submission of citizenship documentation would end online and mail-in voter registration, as well as third-party registration drives, making the process less accessible, especially for voters in rural areas or with limited mobility.

• Increased burden on marginalized communities: The stringent requirements would disproportionately affect seniors, individuals with disabilities, low-income voters, students, and BIPOC communities, potentially leading to their disenfranchisement. 

Votes on the SAVE Act in Washington and HJR B in Lansing are expected soon and we must urgently take action to stop these anti-democracy efforts. 

Send a message to your elected leaders in Washington and Lansing urging them to reject unnecessary barriers to the ballot box and protect the right to vote of Michigan voters →