Information on the SAVE ACT
- Mar 23
- 2 min read
The SAVE Act is a bill passed by the House which is being debated in the Senate. Proponents of the bill say it will make federal elections more secure, but opponents point out that, in doing so, certain people, including Native Americans, will face difficulties registering to vote.
Specifically, for those on Pine Ridge, the first major change should the SAVE Act become law is that you would have to prove your citizenship IN PERSON. For many, this means spending more money driving long distances to register to vote. Secondly, before you head to where you can register to vote, you need to make sure you have the correct documentation. There are multiple ways to do this. The easiest would be to bring your U.S. birth certificate or your U.S. passport (there is an important caveat to this that will be addressed in the next paragraph). Per the SAVE Act, Tribal ID is an acceptable form of proof of citizenship, but your Tribal ID must have your place of birth on it to be accepted when registering to vote.
For those who have changed their names for any reason, there’s another important caveat. In order to register to vote, your approved proof of citizenship must share your current legal name. So, you should expect additional steps to register to vote.
If you have a disability, you should also expect additional challenges. The SAVE Act would not allow any mail-in registration. All voter registrations will have to be done in person. The states will have to make a reasonable effort to help those with disabilities get to a registration office, but this will make it more difficult, nonetheless.
If you would like to reach out to your representatives in Congress and let them know how you feel about the SAVE Act, you can use the link provided below.
