How the SAVE Act Could Make It Harder For You To Vote

It is not a secret that I care about women. I have been a grandchild, daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, financial advisor, and business owner. This gives me unique perspectives.  Beyond being qualified and experienced in my field, I view life from multifaceted vantage points.  People who know me understand that when I work with them, caring goes beyond making numbers match up.

I believe strongly in every American’s right to vote. There is legislation awaiting a vote in the Senate that could make it more complicated to vote, especially for women.  If you have a valid US passport in your current legal name that matches your voter registration, or if your name has never changed from your birth certificate and you have a valid copy of it, you may not have any issues voting. If any name changes have occurred, you may need to take additional steps to vote.

The SAVE America Act has passed the House and is awaiting a vote in the Senate.  If passed as it is currently written, voters, including people already registered to vote, would need to provide documentation proving citizenship.  This can be done with a passport, a birth certificate, or an Enhanced Drivers License from 5 states.  Potential problems arise when your legal name on your voter registration doesn’t match your citizenship documentation (such as changing your name after a marriage or divorce). 

These changes disproportionately affect women.  An estimated 69 million women in the US have a different legal name then what is on their birth certificates.  Research estimates 34% of voting-age women don’t have the necessary documentation to prove their citizenship under the proposed legislation.

Please make sure you can vote and your voice is heard. Contact your state to verify your voter registration.  If your name on your registration matches your documentation, as of right now you should be ok.  Another option is acquiring a valid US passport. Currently the processing time for passports is 4 to 6 weeks, but that time could increase due to bottlenecks in the future.  This page from the State Department can walk you through the steps to get a passport.

This legislation has not become law yet, but even if it doesn’t pass, there is no downside to ensuring you have the valid documentation on hand.  Voting is such an important right, do not leave this to the last minute or to chance.