Last year, Republican lawmakers introduced the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, legislation known as the SAVE Act, to change voter registration rules and require proof of U.S. citizenship to register and vote in federal elections.
Currently, federal voter registration forms require voters to swear — under penalty of perjury — that they are U.S. citizens, with some states taking additional steps to verify citizenship.
If the SAVE Act goes into effect, those looking to vote will have to show either their U.S. passport or birth certificate as proof of citizenship.
How does the SAVE Act affect women’s right to vote?
Roughly 140 million Americans do not hold a passport, meaning they would have to use their birth certificates as proof of citizenship.
However, 79% of American women in heterosexual marriages have adopted their husband’s surname, according to a 2023 Pew Research Center study, and have birth certificates that no longer match their legal name.
That means roughly 69 million women would have a hard time proving their right to vote at the polls, according to an assessment by the Center for American Progress.
Throughout the country, on social media and at town hall meetings, many women have expressed their concerns regarding the SAVE Act.
“Why are you so scared for me to vote?” a constituent asked Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Georgia) at a recent town hall meeting.
On social media, #HandsOffHerVote has become a way for people to share concerns about the potential impact of the SAVE Act, particularly on women.
Posts often highlight how the bill’s requirements could create barriers for women who have changed their names due to marriage or divorce.
Many users are sharing personal stories, raising awareness, and questioning whether the law would disproportionately affect certain groups.
In a congressional hearing, bill co-sponsor Rep. Mary Miller (R-Illinois) talked about the legislation, which does not mention married women, and said that “the SAVE Act does have robust protections for married women whose names have changed.”
Juan Carlos Castillo is a New Jersey-based journalist with the Mid-Atlantic Connect Team.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: What is #handsoffhervote and what to know about SAVE act backlash
Reporting by Juan Carlos Castillo, Asbury Park Press / Asbury Park Press
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