Lisa Desjardins:
Right. This likely will not pass the Senate, but I want to talk about it because it is a big Republican priority.
This is called the SAVE Act. Let’s talk about what’s in it. This bill would require proof of citizenship in order to register to vote in federal elections. Currently, voters have to swear, sometimes they sign, that they are citizens. This bill, as I said, will likely die in the Senate.
But opponents say it is part of what they see as an assault on voting rights as voter suppression, because they note that millions of Americans don’t have access to these kinds of documents in an easy way. They also note that, from what we know, there is a microscopic level of noncitizens voting in this country, very small.
Republicans say, well, if it is so small, why not wipe out the chance altogether? They know that voter I.D.s at the polls generally is a popular issue with voters. This is something we have seen them run on and they will again. Now, the next election, depending on the balance of power in the U.S. Senate, this bill could come up again and it is something we want to watch in the long term.
