Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has aligned with a band of 18 attorneys general to voice opposition to the proposed voting legislation, the SAVE Act, which they argue could impede millions of voters, particularly those from historically marginalized communities. In a letter to Congress detailed by Michigan's official website, the coalition laid out their arguments against H.R. 22, noting the bill's potential to upend the voting process by instituting onerous proof-of-citizenship requirements.
According to the Michigan Department of Attorney General, the SAVE Act's demand for documentary proof poses a reversal of 30 years of progressiveness fostered by the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), a legislation conceived to smoothen voter registration and encourage democratic participation, the letter, which Nessel joined, states the act's requirement could unfairly target poor and minority groups–and Michigan's own attorney general reiterates, “Michigan has fought tirelessly to ensure our elections are fair, accessible, and secure,” bespeaking a commitment to maintain an inclusive voting landscape, the letter was sent to prominent congressional figures such as House Speaker Michael Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, urging them to oppose this backward shift.
These concerns are underpinned by the fact that instances of non-citizen voting are minuscule, with studies indicating occurrence rates as low as 0.0001% in areas with substantial immigration populations. The coalition's letter, to which Nessel added her voice, underscores the excessive burdens the SAVE Act would compel upon citizens, demanding a passport or birth certificate that mirrors one's current legal name, negating the feasibility of online registration, and potentially causing voters such as married women and active-service members undue hardship.
Moreover, the attorneys general caution about the administrative nightmare and fiscal strains state election systems would face under the proposed legislation, which requires complete overhauls in registration processes and error-proof document verification steps; the kicker being that under the SAVE Act small mistakes by election officials could lead to severe penalties of up to five years of imprisonment, Nessel and her colleagues in their collective wisdom ask that congressional leaders snub the SAVE Act, thereby safeguarding election integrity without stripping legitimate voters of their rights.
Attorney General Nessel is joined in this effort by counterparts from states including but not limited to Minnesota, California, and New York. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison helms the opposition, reflecting a shared determination to preserve American democracy in its most accessible form.
