Golden votes to pass bipartisan SAVE Act

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) today voted for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. The bill passed the House 220- 208, with four Democrats voting in favor.

“The right to vote in American elections should be exclusive to American citizens. Requiring people to prove citizenship when registering to vote is a simple way to ensure that’s happening across the country,” Golden said.

While noncitizens are ineligible to vote in federal elections, there is no federal law prohibiting them from voting in state or local elections. Currently, municipalities in three states and the District of Columbia allow noncitizens to vote in local elections.

The SAVE Act would require proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote. Critics of the billhave argued that the proof of citizenship requirement would prevent people whose names differ from those on their birth certificate from registering to vote. However, the bill contains several provisions to accommodate those whose names have changed since their birth, including accepting several different forms of identification that establish citizenship, as well as a requirement that states establish a process to allow citizens to register when there are discrepancies between an individual’s current and documented name — such as a name change after a marriage or divorce.

“Life changes like marriage should never affect someone’s eligibility to vote, so the SAVE Act requires states to have a plan for accommodating people whose current name differs from their birth name,” Golden said. “Maine’s leaders work hard to keep our elections fair and I’m confident in their ability to continue doing so.” 

The bill would require states to remove any noncitizens from their voter registration rolls. Additionally, it penalizes officials who knowingly and willfully register noncitizens to vote in the future. The SAVE Act does not change registration exemptions for Americans serving or living abroad, meaning that those citizens would still be eligible to register and vote by mail.

Golden also voted for the SAVE Act last September when it passed the 118th Congress by a bipartisan vote of 221-198.

Golden has been a champion for clean and fair elections throughout his time in Congress. He is an original cosponsor of the Let America Vote Act, which would allow independents to vote in primaries for federal office while barring noncitizens from voting in state and local elections — rules that are inconsistent across state lines. Last Congress he also introduced his Government Integrity and Anti-Corruption Plan to reduce foreign influence and dark money in campaigns.

###