On April 10, 2025, the House passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) ACT. The bill’s primary aim is to prevent non-citizens from voting, but in doing so will also present a barrier for millions of American women who have legally changed their name from exercising their right to vote. The right to vote is at the very foundation of our democracy and this bill puts the voting rights of millions of Americans at risk. If passed through the Senate, the bill will impose registration requirements, which would make it extremely difficult for those with a name change to register to vote for the first time or update their voter registration if they move addresses.
The SAVE ACT would:

Require every voter to register or update their registration in person.
Mandate proof of citizenship with documents that many don’t have easy access to.
Eliminate key registration options like mail-in, online, and third-party voter registration drives.

More than 9 percent of citizens of voting age — or 21.3 million people — do not have documents readily available that prove their citizenship, per a study from VoteRiders, Public Wise, the Brennan Center for Justice and the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement at the University of Maryland. It will disenfranchise others from marginalized communities who are less likely to have the necessary documentation readily available. For example, the study found that people of color are more likely than white Americans to lack documentary proof of citizenship. Additionally, an estimated 69 million American women and 4 million men do not have a birth certificate that matches their current legal name, according to the Center for American Progress.
In the past, some states have attempted legislation to ban non-citizen voting, which is already illegal. These types of laws are similar to the SAVE Act in Kansas and Arizona and were struck down by judges who said they were unconstitutional and disenfranchised Americans.

Congresswoman Maxine Dexter brought forward an amendment to the bill which would put a pause on the SAVE Act until Congress could study and conclusively say that it would not impede married women’s ability to register to vote; however, this amendment was blocked.

House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark stated in a news conference, “It is built on a false premise that there are noncitizens voting in large numbers that are swaying elections. And what is the answer to that? Make it harder for women in this country to vote, who changed their names because they got married?”

It is important to note as American citizens navigating through this critical moment for our democracy, to remember that every action — big or small — moves us closer to the future we deserve. Whether making calls to Congress, registering to vote, or simply talking with friends and family about what’s at stake. Keep pushing, keep organizing, and keep believing in the power of the people.

Please use our pre-drafted letters to urge your senators to oppose the SAVE ACT (S. 128). If they have already sponsored or co-sponsored the bill, you can send a message.