Maryland State Wire

Today, Common Cause Maryland criticized the U.S. House's approval of the SAVE Act, labeling it as legislation that would make voting significantly more difficult for millions of Americans, including those in Maryland. The organization called on state legislators to pass measures like the Maryland Voting Rights Act to protect voters' rights locally.

"Maryland lawmakers — not Trump or Congress — should determine how elections run in our state. The General Assembly had an opportunity this legislative session to assert their control by insulating our elections from federal actions that disenfranchise voters, but they ignored Trump’s recent executive order, ignored the potential passage of the SAVE Act, and chose not to pass reforms like the Maryland Voting Rights Act (MDVRA) that would have established protections against discrimination in our elections,” stated Joanne Antoine, Executive Director of Common Cause Maryland.

Antoine stressed the importance of legislative action, saying, "We can’t keep making excuses because every state, red or blue, is at risk. Maryland lawmakers need to meet the urgency of the moment. If voter suppression isn’t welcome in our state, they are going to have to fight to protect voter rights. That starts with passage of the MDVRA."

The SAVE Act mandates all Americans provide in-person proof of citizenship, not only to register to vote but also to update their voter registration, which would eliminate the possibility of registering by mail, halt voter registration drives, and create obstacles for the 42 states using online voter registration systems. Address or political party changes would also need to be made in person.

Statistics indicate that 50% of Americans lack passports for citizenship proof, and 8 in 10 married women have changed their surname, lacking birth certificates matching their current legal names. This impacts approximately 69 million women.

The Act also raises concerns about government efficiency, creating numerous bureaucratic challenges. Many voters would need considerable time to secure passports or birth certificates, travel to elections offices, and potentially wait in long lines, without additional funding support for already strained election offices.

While Common Cause Maryland successfully supported legislation ensuring voters with limited English proficiency have necessary election participation tools, more efforts are needed to protect voters in Maryland. The Maryland General Assembly is encouraged to safeguard voters from federal voting rights attacks by passing the Maryland Voting Rights Act, establishing state-level protections.