The Federal SAVE Act Would Change How You Vote In New York State
With America running up to the mid-term elections that will have a big say in the direction the United States government takes for the rest of this decade, there is a big push by some members of the federal government, along with some state officials, to fundamentally change the way that elections are conducted in the 50 states, plus the District of Columbia.
Recently, the US House of Representatives passed the SAVE Act (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act), with 220 Representatives voting yes, 208 voting no, and 5 not voting at all. Now the bill goes to the US Senate for additional markup and votes, which, if it passes, President Trump has declared he will sign it into law.
If the SAVE Act becomes law, it will make some significant changes to how New Yorkers appear at the polls, and now they can even register to vote.
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New York, like all other states, only allows eligible citizens to register to vote in elections. The current voter registration process in the Empire State can be completed online, in person, and via mail using done using a form that someone can fill out and send to their local county board of elections.
However, if the SAVE Act becomes law, New York may need to overhaul its entire registration and voter process.
This bill requires individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections. Specifically, the bill prohibits states from accepting and processing an application to register to vote in a federal election unless the applicant presents documentary proof of U.S. citizenship. The bill specifies what documents are considered acceptable proof of U.S. citizenship, such as identification that complies with the REAL ID Act of 2005 that indicates U.S. citizenship.
-H.R.22 - SAVE Act Bill Summary
As it stands today, when you register to vote in New York, the state board of elections verifies the information that you submit to ensure your eligibility, including your citizenship status. Under the SAVE Act, it will become the citizens responibsility to prove their citizenship instead of the state. In addition to that, citizens will have to provide acceptable ID in order to cast a vote, registering by mail or online may be restricted, and you may only be able to register in person, and the federal government will have access to state voter rolls.
While proponents of this bill say it will go a long way to make elections more secure, including New York's Republican Congressional Delegation, states rights advocates claim this is a clear case of federal government overreach.
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