DEPT. OF JUSTICE NEWS RELEASE
Today, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez joined a coalition of 12 attorneys general urging the U.S. Senate to reject the “Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act”, warning that the legislation would unlawfully nationalize election administration, impose sweeping new barriers to voter registration, and disenfranchise millions of eligible Americans. If enacted, the SAVE America Act would require Americans to present documentary proof of citizenship in person to register or update their voter information, effectively eliminating online, mail-in, and automatic voter registration nationwide.
“The so-called SAVE America Act is a dangerous and unnecessary attempt to strip states of their constitutional authority over elections and impose barriers that will disenfranchise millions of eligible voters,” said Attorney General Torrez. “Citizenship is already a requirement to vote, and states like New Mexico have robust systems in place to verify eligibility. This legislation would eliminate modern registration tools like online and mail-in systems, harm working families, rural communities, and veterans, and undermine the very foundation of our democracy.”
Attorney General Torrez and the coalition warn that the SAVE America Act would eliminate online voter registration used by most states, as well as mail-in registration relied upon by service members and overseas voters. The legislation would also cripple automatic voter registration systems that help keep voter rolls accurate and secure. As a result, the attorneys general argue that the SAVE America Act would disproportionately harm working-class Americans, rural voters, young people, and people whose legal names no longer match their birth certificates. An estimated 21 million voting-age citizens lack ready access to a passport, birth certificate, or naturalization record, and nearly 80 percent of married women would not have documentation that reflects their current legal name.
Attorney General Torrez and the coalition urge the Senate to reject the SAVE America Act and oppose any effort to federalize election administration, calling on lawmakers to respect state sovereignty and protect Americans’ fundamental right to vote. Joining Attorney General Torrez in this letter are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Oregon, and Washington.