After the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation aimed at securing elections, Mississippi Congressman Bennie Thompson is saying the bill does not fulfill its intended purpose.
Republican President Donald Trump has long harped on keeping illegal immigrants from participating in American elections and has made it a priority to push Congress to take action to address this concern. Though evidence is insufficient to support the notion that noncitizen voters have swayed elections in the past, the GOP-majority House passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act by a vote of 220-208.
Mississippi’s three GOP Congressmen (Reps. Trent Kelly, Michael Guest, and Mike Ezell) joined their Republican colleagues in supporting the bill unanimously. Thompson, the state’s only Democrat on Capitol Hill, sided with the overwhelming majority of his party in dissenting against the legislation.
The SAVE Act, if passed, would require all U.S. citizens to present proof of citizenship — whether that is a birth certificate or passport — when registering to vote or updating registration information. The goal of the legislation, per Republican leadership, is to protect American elections from outside influence by preventing noncitizens from voting.
“Free, fair, and honest elections unmarred by fraud, errors, or suspicion are fundamental to maintaining our constitutional Republic,” a statement from the White House reads. “The right of American citizens to have their votes properly counted and tabulated, without illegal dilution, is vital to determining the rightful winner of an election.”
Current law bars noncitizens from voting in presidential and congressional elections. There are also consequences for illegally participating in the civic process, including up to a year behind bars or even deportation. Taking extra steps to secure elections, albeit a noble cause on the surface, could have unintended consequences.
Allegations that tens of millions of U.S. citizens could be disenfranchised by this legislation, including married women, married gay men, the elderly, veterans, and voters of color, have picked up steam. Analysis from the Brennan Center for Justice finds that more than 21 million Americans do not have immediate access to documents outlying proof of citizenship. The numbers show that a higher percentage of
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