U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Representative,
On behalf of the millions of members and supporters of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, I am writing to express our strong opposition to H.R. 22, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. Members of the National Committee come from all walks of life and every political persuasion. What unites them is their passion for protecting and strengthening Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and the other programs that are so vitally important to older Americans.
Americans over age 65 are this nation’s most reliable voting group. Although voter numbers from the 2024 election are not yet official, AARP cites estimates that voters age 50 and older made up 52 percent of the voting electorate. The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that 67 percent of voters in 2022 were age 65 and older. The fact that older voters turn out in numbers well above other age groups has been a truism in electoral politics for decades.
H.R. 22 would significantly limit the ability of older Americans to vote in federal elections by severely restricting the types of documents acceptable to prove identity and needlessly requiring voters to re-prove their identities every time they renew their registrations. The bill requires all Americans to prove their citizenship status by presenting documentation – in person – when registering to vote or updating their voter registration information, such as when recording a change of address, name, or party affiliation. Specifically, H.R. 22 would require the vast majority of Americans to rely on either a passport or a birth certificate in combination with a government-issued photo ID to prove their citizenship.
According to YouGov.com, about 46 percent of Americans over age 65 have valid passports, leaving over one-half of America’s seniors – over 30 million people – without that option to prove citizenship. According to the Center for American Progress, as many as 69 million women who have taken their spouse’s name upon marriage do not have a birth certificate matching their legal name, which would disqualify those attempting to prove citizenship through this avenue. Women age 65 and older are especially likely to confront this challenge as the societal norms of the time trended against retaining one’s maiden name upon marriage, and few will have thought to request a new birth certificate reflecting their married name.
The most significant restriction of all for seniors and the disabled lies in the requirement to present this citizenship documentation in person when registering to vote or renewing a registration. Seniors and Americans with disabilities face a series of challenges when they are required to conduct activities in person. Many do not drive or only drive to local offices they are familiar with, may have limited alternative transportation options available, and frequently find themselves dependent on others to drive them, which results in prioritizing medical appointments and trips to grocery stores. Friends and family who might provide transportation are often only available during non-working hours, when most registrar’s offices are closed. The challenge of in-person documentation is a particular problem in rural areas, where the SAVE Act would force some older voters to drive up to eight hours round trip, and in some cases across state lines, just to update their voter registration information.
To add insult to injury, the SAVE Act requires the Social Security Administration to verify voter citizenship information for states without providing additional funding. This would take an agency that has been severely underfunded and understaffed for years, and which is already facing additional staff reductions, office closures and expanded identity proof requirements of its own to carry yet another new and burdensome responsibility. As a result, there will be even longer lines at Social Security offices, longer delays for benefits, and the potential for benefit disruptions that could severely impact seniors and disabled Americans who rely on every benefit check to make ends meet.
America’s seniors have proven repeatedly that they take their civic responsibilities seriously by voting in record numbers, even during relatively low-turnout elections. Imposing barriers to voting access such as those in H.R. 22 will disenfranchise millions of the nation’s most dedicated voters. On their behalf, we urge you to vote NO on the SAVE Act.
Sincerely,
Max Richtman
President and CEO