VMF Member Opinion: The SAVE America Act - Democrats Abroad

Tervuren, Belgium—The following opinion piece is authored by Thomas K. Murphy, Ph.D., an educator and long-time Department of Defense civilian with significant experience, having worked on several U.S. military locations overseas. Dr. Murphy is a Maryland UOCAVA voter, resident of Belgium, and member of the Democrats Abroad Global Veterans and Military Families (VMF) Caucus.

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Last year, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. This revised measure, now called the SAVE America Act, is an attempt by the Trump Administration to meddle with the 2026 elections, in which Democrats are expected to do very well, possibly flipping both houses of Congress.

The Act passed the House 218-213, mostly along party lines. Its fate in the Senate is uncertain, as significant opposition exists. At least one Republican Senator, Lisa Murkowski, of Alaska, has already stated that she will not support the bill. Majority Leader John Thune has said publicly that, at present, passage in the Senate is unlikely.

But what does the bill do? At present, states run elections, by and large. Voter identification for elections is what the states mandate. For example, in Texas, a fishing or gun license is sufficient identification to vote. In other states, a drivers’ license or other form of state ID might be required.

The SAVE Act would require all voters to present proof of U.S. citizenship, in the form of either a passport or a birth certificate. As no evidence has ever been presented in the form of “mass voting fraud,” such major changes have never been done before, and flies in the face of all American voting traditions. Moreover, the act significantly restrains the use of mail-in ballots. How might these measures affect voter turnout?

Well, for starters, only about 49% of Americans possess a passport. In some states (ironically, mainly red states), only 20-30% have passports. Passports cost a lot of money, and obtaining one takes 6-8 weeks or more.

It is estimated that approximately 10% of all Americans do not have immediate access to either a passport or a birth certificate. Young adults are less likely to have access to birth certificates, and people of color even more so. In addition, it is estimated that 4-5 million Americans have no proof of citizenship at all.

Women have a particularly difficult issue to face, as their married names will not match the name on their birth certificate and possibly passport. Some 70 million or more American women will face this issue.

There are estimates of 30,000-40,000 homeless veterans in the U.S. Clearly, enactment of the SAVE America Act and its “show your papers” requirements would not be in the best interest in denying these patriots their voting rights.

Transgender veterans, including trans civilians, would face additional challenges registering to vote by having to dig up paperwork showing their legal name change.

The disabled community, including those who are service connected through the Department of Veterans Affairs, would face new hardships in having to present themselves in person to register to vote. The additional burden of taking away electronic voter registrations is also a gut punch to America’s disability community.

Veterans and military retirees living abroad would also be negatively impacted by having to register in-person at their local election office back in the home state.

Adopted persons may find the process of birth identification arduous, if not impossible.

Do we need the SAVE Act? Among developed nations, the U.S. has a very low level of voter fraud; in fact, it is almost non-existent. The 2020 election that Donald Trump contested was said to have been one of the cleanest and best run in American electoral history. The SAVE America Act is a cynical attempt to remove women, young voters and people of color - all groups that favor Democrats - from the voting rosters.

However – there is an irony here. SAVE, if passed, could backfire. It is well established among scholars that party voting is closely correlated with education, and Democrats tend to be better educated than Republicans. Educated people tend to travel more, and are more likely to possess passports. Further, as mentioned, passport ownership is low in most red states. Nevertheless, there is no need to fix a voting culture that is not broken. In fact, lawmakers should be focused on how to increase voter turnout and electoral legitimacy, not the creation of unnecessary barriers to create a lesser turnout and spreading skeptical voting processes.

What can we do? Well, first of all, show your opposition to this act by contacting your U.S. Senators. Emails are good, phone calls are better, and letters are best. (Take it from a former Senate and House staffer - congressional offices take letters very seriously, as they involve more effort from the constituent and show great concern for the issue at hand. Write a letter and be sure to request a written response.)

As a backup in case the GOP majorities in Congress ram through this terrible legislation, make sure that your U.S. passport is up to date. Try to track down your birth certificate – even investigate updating it, if your name has changed. Be ready for the 2026 election, when Democrats put the brakes on the corrupt Trump regime!

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U.S. citizens living abroad, both civilian and military, are highly encouraged to check your voter registration status and request your ballot for any upcoming elections in your home voting state that you are eligible to vote in.

The Global VMF Caucus has over 1,400 members in dozens of countries and proudly consists of veterans, military family members, Department of Defense civilians, other national security professionals, and strong allies of veterans and military family causes.