By Danielle Smith<\/p>\n
Months ahead of the midterm elections, federal lawmakers are considering sweeping new rules for voters \u2013 and voting-rights advocates say the changes could have serious consequences in Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n
The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility<\/a>, or SAVE Act is in the U.S. Senate after narrowly passing the House last spring.<\/p>\n Deb Landau, program director for policy and advocacy<\/a> with the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania<\/a>, said the new rules would require people to show proof of citizenship, in person, to register to vote \u2013 with only a few documents accepted, like birth certificates or passports.<\/p>\n Landau said a change like that would hit women, people of color, and rural voters hardest.<\/p>\n \u201cOver half of Americans do not have a passport,\u201d said Landau. \u201cThe statistics show that 21 million eligible voters don\u2019t have ready access available to these documents \u2014 so, maybe they don\u2019t know where they are \u2013 maybe they\u2019re in a safety deposit box, maybe they were lost. They don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n She added that some 3.8 million people nationwide don\u2019t have these documents at all \u2014 often due to a loss, like a natural disaster, or cost barriers. Supporters of the bill say it would protect election integrity by blocking noncitizen voting.<\/p>\n Landau pointed out that most women have married names that don\u2019t match their birth certificates, creating 69 million mismatches to sort out.<\/p>\n She added that the bill is about more than voter ID. It would require proof of citizenship, which a Pennsylvania Real ID doesn\u2019t provide \u2014 although many assume it does.<\/p>\n \u201cWe already do have voter ID laws here,\u201d said Landau. \u201cIt is already illegal for noncitizens to register to vote, to cast a ballot, and the rate of noncitizens voting is incredibly small. It is like .0003%.\u201d<\/p>\n