Following is a statement by Tianna Mays, legal director at Democracy Defenders Fund, regarding House passage today of the SAVE Act, a measure that would impose proof of citizenship requirements to register to vote.

“The SAVE Act is a solution in search of a problem, built on the false premise that noncitizens are casting ballots in meaningful numbers. Multiple analyses conducted by researchers across the political spectrum have found that credible instances of noncitizen voting are infinitesimal. Worse still, tens of millions of eligible American voters do not have ready access to the specific proof of citizenship documents this bill would require, such as a passport, birth certificate, or record of birth abroad, putting them at risk of disenfranchisement.

“Backers of this bill are contributing to a coordinated effort to undermine faith in our elections, suppress voter turnout, and normalize federal overreach into state election systems. Our elected officials should focus on strengthening trust in our democracy and expanding access to the ballot for eligible voters, not erecting new barriers that make it harder for people to vote.”

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Democracy Defenders Fund brings together a nonpartisan team to work with national, state and local allies across the country to defend in real-time the foundations of our democracy.