The U.S. House of Representatives is preparing to vote on a dangerous piece of legislation deceptively titled the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. While it claims to protect our elections from noncitizen voting, the truth is far more troubling. The SAVE Act is a voter suppression bill masquerading as a security measure—and it could disenfranchise millions of eligible American voters, especially here in Washington state. Representative Michael Baumgartner has not yet announced how he’ll vote. We need to flood his office with calls and demand he oppose this assault on our fundamental rights.
At the heart of the bill is a new requirement: that every voter must present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship—such as a passport or a certified birth certificate—when registering to vote in federal elections. On paper, this may seem reasonable to some. But in reality, it imposes an unnecessary burden on countless voters who are already citizens and already playing by the rules. For many Americans, particularly those who are elderly, low-income, naturalized, or who’ve changed their names due to marriage or transition, these documents are not readily available. And obtaining them can cost time, money, and in some cases, impossible bureaucracy.
This bill is being pushed under the false pretense of protecting elections from widespread voter fraud. Yet every credible study shows that noncitizen voting is a statistical nonissue. The Brennan Center for Justice reviewed 23.5 million votes cast in the 2016 election and found only 30 possible instances of noncitizen voting—barely a fraction of a fraction of a percent. The problem simply doesn’t exist at the scale claimed by the bill’s proponents.
So why are lawmakers pushing the SAVE Act? Because it’s not about election integrity—it’s about controlling who gets to participate in democracy. This bill creates a new barrier to voting, targeting people who are more likely to vote for change: young people, new citizens, women, Black and brown communities, and people with limited access to government-issued documents. This is a page right out of the voter suppression playbook, and we’ve seen its consequences in other states.
Imagine a 19-year-old who just moved for college and doesn’t have a passport or easy access to their birth certificate. Or a naturalized citizen who followed every legal step to become a voter, now facing another hurdle. Or a woman who changed her name after marriage but whose documentation hasn’t yet caught up. The SAVE Act turns these citizens into suspects and their right to vote into an obstacle course.
Supporters of the SAVE Act may claim they’re just enforcing the rules, but rules that are designed to exclude are not just—they’re dangerous. Voting is not a privilege reserved for the few who can afford government paperwork or who were born with every document perfectly aligned. It is a right, and that right must not be buried under red tape and fearmongering.
This is why we need to act right now. Congressman Michael Baumgartner’s vote could help decide the fate of this legislation. His silence so far is not neutrality—it’s a green light for this anti-democratic bill. We cannot afford to wait and see where he lands. We need to make it clear: his constituents expect him to protect our voting rights, not trample them.
Call Representative Baumgartner’s office today. Tell him to vote no on the SAVE Act. Tell him that Washington voters won’t stand for manufactured voter fraud narratives being used to justify real voter suppression. Tell him that our democracy depends on expanding access to the ballot—not restricting it.
You can reach Congressman Baumgartner’s office at 202-225-3121. Be respectful, but be firm. Let his staff know this is a red line for you, your neighbors, and everyone who believes in free and fair elections. We need lawmakers who will defend democracy—not dismantle it.
If we stay silent, this bill will pass, and millions could be stripped of their voice in the most important decisions our country faces. But if we rise up together and demand better from those who represent us, we can stop the SAVE Act and protect the sacred right to vote for all Americans. Don’t wait. Make the call.
An official birth certificate is issued by a government agency and includes a seal, registrar’s signature, and often security features. If it has baby footprints, decorative borders, or says “hospital record,” it’s a souvenir and not valid for legal use.
