MY TURN: SAVE Act will create barriers for voters

The author of the Feb. 15 letter to the editor entitled, “Voter ID: Wonder why?” is flat out wrong when he states in the first sentence that “If you listen to one particular party you don’t need an ID for voter registration.” 

He argues that because we show identification at a doctor’s office, a pharmacy or a truck rental counter, we should require the same for voting. Well, guess what? We are already required to show an ID to vote, and there is no “particular party” that says we shouldn’t.

To register to vote, you must provide photo identification (Idaho Driver’s License or ID Card, Tribal ID, United States Passport, Federal ID or license to carry concealed weapons). But wait, to obtain the required photo identification, you must provide proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful presence, proof of identity and two proofs of Idaho residency (e.g., a utility bill or lease agreement). 

So, under existing law, you cannot register to vote or vote unless you have already proven your U.S. citizenship or lawful presence and have a photo ID.

The SAVE Act, pushed by the Trump administration, is a solution looking for a problem. Voter fraud is almost nonexistent. If you don’t believe me, contact your Idaho elected representatives and ask them to provide you with information on how many illegal votes were cast in Idaho in the last election. 

However, the harm of the SAVE Act legislation is that it does not merely require identification to vote. It requires specific proof of citizenship to register to vote: a passport or a birth certificate that matches a voter’s current legal name. For millions of American women, that match does not exist.

For generations, many women have changed their last names at marriage. Estimates show roughly 70 to 80% adopt a spouse’s surname, and others hyphenate or modify their names. With roughly 88 to 90 million women voters in the United States, tens of millions of lawful citizens now have a legal name that differs from the one on their birth certificates. 

They have done nothing improper. They followed social custom, signed state-issued marriage licenses and have voted legally for decades.

Under the SAVE Act, those voters would face a new barrier. A driver’s license, the ID used for nearly every official purpose, would not be sufficient. Their options would be limited. They could obtain a passport, which requires fees, documents, appointments and processing time, raising practical concerns about capacity ahead of national elections. 

Or they could revert to a maiden name, altering bank accounts, mortgages, employment records, insurance, Social Security information and family identity simply to cast a ballot.

Election security matters, but it must be realistic and proportionate. A law that risks blocking millions of legitimate citizens, overwhelmingly women, weakens, rather than strengthens, democracy. The Senate should correct this legislation before it becomes law and harms millions of Americans.

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Mike Gridley is a Coeur d'Alene resident.