By Don C. Reed
Imagine if someone could disqualify an entire gender’s votes. A new law, (1) soon to be brought before the United States Senate, could essentially do just that. Grossly mis-named, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE), S. 128 / could cancel the votes of literally millions of women.
Hard to believe? H.R. 22 has already passed the House of Representatives. (2) If approved by the Senate and signed by the President, it could potentially disqualify 69 million women voters.
Here’s how it works: the name on every voter form must be matched by an identical name on the birth certificate.
This would disqualify any woman who took her husband’s name in marriage. (3) An enormous number of women — more than eight in ten — take their husband’s name when they marry.
Why does that matter?
By a substantial margin, women vote for Democrats (4). If enough women are disqualified, Republicans will automatically win.
If the bill becomes law, every married woman who takes her husband’s name will have to re-register — in person, with substantial documentation — such as a passport, (do you have one?) or an original birth certificate. Do you know where your original birth certificate is? Drivers’ licenses, by the way, are NOT an acceptable substitute (even ones marked Real ID).
If passed, the SAVE Act will all but guarantee victory for Republicans
Let your Senator hear from you; vote “No!” on Senate Bill 128.
It may well be the most unfair law ever written.
1. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-save-act-overview-and-facts/
2. https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/22/text
3. https://19thnews.org/2025/03/save-act-voting-married-women/?itm_source=parsely-api
4. https://cawp.rutgers.edu/gender-gap-voting-choices-presidential-elections.