The SAVE America Act has been passed in the House, and Trump has threatened to make it an executive order should it not go through the Senate. It would severely hinder voting under the guise of fighting voter fraud, which Republicans have claimed is widespread despite a lack of evidence. For example, last year, the Maine GOP claimed that 51 people voted twice, but upon further investigation, none had voted more than once. 

The SAVE Act solves a nonexistent problem in a way that would hurt all Americans, but Mainers especially. It would block the ability of many to vote easily or at all.

Mail-in voting is crucial for many groups, including seniors, people living with disabilities, and those who live in remote or rural areas. The SAVE would require new voters or those changing their registration to go in person and show proof of citizenship, like a birth certificate or passport. That requires a long drive, waiting in line, and potentially taking time off work. Maine is a rural state, and one of the oldest in the nation. 16% of Maine’s population has a disability. For Mainers, this isn’t protection, it’s disenfranchisement.

Doing all of this under the guise of election security attacks Mainers in another way. Maine has a long history of fighting to make elections fair. From the Maine Clean Election Fund to being the first to use ranked choice in federal elections. Policies like the SAVE Act dismiss that history in order to make a case and focus on punitive action, even threatening election workers with jail time if they register a citizen without ID or documents.

We will stand against voting restrictions and continue to fight for access and tackle the larger problem of outside money in our elections as we always have. 

All Mainers need to be able to vote, no ifs, ands, or buts.