Marc Elias on the SAVE Act: Trump's Voter Suppression Scheme

The SAVE Act: A Voter Suppression Bill

• 🎯 The SAVE Act has passed the House and is heading to the Senate, representing a significant Republican effort to make voting and registration harder.
• 🚫 This bill is described as a massive voter suppression effort, aiming to disenfranchise millions of Americans by creating new barriers to exercising their right to vote.
• 🏛️ Historically, the federal government has worked to make voting easier, while states have often imposed restrictions; this bill is a rare instance of Congress affirmatively passing legislation to restrict voting rights already granted by states.

Key Provisions and Disenfranchisement Risks

• 📜 A central provision requires US citizens to prove their citizenship to register to vote, typically needing original birth certificates or passports, documents many Americans do not readily possess.
• ⚠️ This requirement disproportionately impacts married women who have changed their names, as their birth certificates may not match current identification, and also negatively affects younger voters and minority voters.
• 🗳️ The bill also includes provisions like preventing ballots from being counted if not received by Election Day, which has a disproportionate impact on Democratic voters.

Trump's Executive Order and Legal Challenges

• ⚡ The SAVE Act is seen as a legislative parallel to a previous Trump executive order targeting voting, indicating a coordinated effort to restrict access.
• ⚖️ Marc Elias's team is challenging Trump's executive order in court, arguing that it attempts to impose restrictions and take over parts of the election system, which is unconstitutional.
• 🧐 The enforceability of executive orders relies on willingness to uphold them; if officials defer to Trump rather than reality, such orders can gain power they wouldn't otherwise possess.

The "Poll Tax" Analogy and Shifting Goalposts

• 💰 The requirement for specific identification like passports or certified birth certificates, which often cost money, is compared to a poll tax, an illegal barrier to voting.
• 🧩 The argument is made that Republicans move the goalposts, using requirements like photo IDs as a pretext for further restrictions, as seen with varying state-level ID laws and the debate around Real ID and birthright citizenship.
• 🗣️ The core issue is that the Republican party's actions, including the SAVE Act and executive orders, are driven by a desire to suppress votes from those not likely to vote Republican, rather than genuine concerns about election integrity.

The Fight for Voting Rights

• 📢 Elias emphasizes the importance of raising voices against such measures and highlights Democracy Docket as a source for accurate information on voting rights and legal challenges.
• 📰 The work of Democracy Docket is presented as crucial, fearless journalism supporting the fight against voter suppression efforts, especially those championed by Donald Trump.
• 🚩 The ultimate goal of these efforts is to prevent certain Americans, particularly those not predisposed to vote Republican, from casting their ballots, making this a critical moment for defending democracy.