Submit comment to oppose ‘show me your papers’ requirement in voter registration

In April, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the SAVE Act, legislation that would make it harder for millions of eligible people to register and vote. Outrage from voters across the country coupled with forceful opposition from some lawmakers in Congress have made passage in the Senate extremely unlikely.

Undeterred by democracy in action, the conservative America First Legal Foundation found a work around. They petitioned the EAC — the federal agency in charge of election administration — to add a requirement to show a passport or other citizenship document each time someone registers to vote or updates their registration using the federal form. The EAC has now given the public the opportunity to comment on the proposal through Oct. 20.

More than 21 million Americans do not have easy access to a passport or other citizenship documents. People who are struggling financially, voters with disabilities, the elderly, rural voters, voters of color, as well as married women and others who have changed their names could have an especially hard time voting under this requirement.

This requirement would also violate federal law. The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) says the government can only require voters to provide information necessary to determine their eligibility; proof of citizenship requirements violate that provision. Voters already check a box affirming their citizenship, and election officials across the country have been successfully verifying voters’ eligibility for decades.

The EAC needs to hear directly from you. In just a few sentences, you can share your opposition to the proposal, explaining why it would make voting harder for you or the people in your community. It does not have to be a long message to make a difference.

Copy and paste this comment into the EAC’s comment page, or use one of these other short prompts:

Or you can tailor this longer sample comment to your own experience. Feel free to submit your comment anonymously or include your name.

The important thing is that the EAC knows that the American people overwhelmingly stand against schemes to deny eligible voters access to the ballot box.

And spread the word. Our voices are harder to ignore when we speak together. Encourage your friends, family and community members to join in opposition to this proposal and to protect the fairness of our elections.