Introduction
After his defeat in the 2020 Presidential election, Donald Trump immediately began to protest against the outcome, claiming fraud and subsequently filing numerous lawsuits in hopes of overturning the election in his favor. Trump’s denouncing of the election results continued after the Electoral College had declared Biden the winner, ultimately leading to a mob of Trump’s supporters storming the Capitol building. In the years following the riot at the Capitol, Trump would face federal criminal charges for his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Nevertheless, Trump was not deterred from his belief that the 2020 election was “stolen” from him, even going so far as to refuse to admit defeat when he was asked about the election during his 2024 Presidential campaign.
As a result of Trump’s belief that the 2020 election was fraudulent, his followers have developed conspiracy theories on how the fraud took place. These theories typically revolve around the idea that Biden’s win was due to non-citizens participating in the election and people voting multiple times. Accusations like this have been widely discredited, with less than 25 cases of non-citizens voting being prosecuted since 2003. Furthermore, as states audited their voter registries in response to these claims, most found fewer than 30 non-citizens registered to vote, with the highest count being in Louisiana, where 390 non-citizens were registered (only 79 of which had voted in an election in recent decades) out of the state’s 2.9 million registered voters in the state.
Realities Behind the Perception of Election Fraud
When Trump and Republican lawmakers talk about election fraud, they fail to put into perspective the current realities surrounding the voting process in the U.S. It has always been illegal to vote multiple times and for non-citizens to vote in U.S. elections. The lack of clarity around this aspect of elections has allowed Trump to gain a notable amount of support for his reforms from the public. This information asymmetry can be detrimental to vertical accountability in the United States, as lawmakers are purposefully not arming Americans with information that would allow voters to use their vote to reflect the realities that the U.S. is currently facing.
Arguments For the SAVE America Act
Regardless of where the voting process stands currently, Trump and his allies have demanded an increase in election security. They argue that the way Americans register to vote needs to be reshaped to prevent non-citizens from accessing the voter registration system. Congressional Republicans have been working to pass the SAVE America Act, a bill that would require individuals to present proof of citizenship to register to vote, such as a passport or birth certificate. Additionally, the bill would also require voters nationwide to present a photo ID to cast a ballot. If passed, the SAVE America Act would go into effect immediately and impose criminal charges on anyone who is found to have registered a non-citizen to vote.
Criticisms and Concerns
Opponents of the bill argue that these new requirements would make registering to vote significantly more difficult, as these documents are not readily available for most Americans. Furthermore, persons who have changed their name will have to fill out an additional affidavit affirming that their legal name does not match the one listed on their documentation. Those who do not vote in person will be required to submit a copy of their photo ID alongside their ballot, raising privacy concerns. Lastly, the bill, which would immediately go into effect, has drawn criticism for the pressure it would put on states to rapidly train staff and implement procedures that would be in accordance with the act.
The bill has drawn more serious criticism than just complicating the voting process, with some Democrats, like Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, arguing that it is a coordinated effort to disenfranchise voters who are not supportive of Republicans. Historically, when new legislation surrounding voter reform has been passed, it has been done in states that had experienced periods of higher minority turnout and growth in the black population. While this does not prove a purely causal relationship, it is difficult to assume these variables are unrelated, as Democrats are generally more popular among minority groups than Republicans.
Conclusion
The new provisions outlined under the SAVE America Act would drastically increase the number of individuals who do not vote despite being eligible. Reducing the number of voters participating in elections raises concerns about citizens’ ability to check the government. Elections are one of the methods through which the people are able to control the government’s power; raising the bar to participate in an election weakens citizens’ capacity to protect democracy. When citizen power is weakened, democracies become dependent upon checks from the other branches of government. However, at present, in the United States, one party controls all three branches of government are under the control of one party, putting American democracy in a particularly weak position.
I totally agree with your opinion on this matter, this situation is deeply concerning.
Especially when it is most clearly correlated to voting, as you said “one of the methods through which the people are able to control the government’s power” and when combining that with “Democrats are generally more popular among minority groups than Republicans”.
I would say…. this act of President Trump is not meant for fairplay.