The Wood County Democratic Party is raising the alarm over the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE Act), a bill that could disenfranchise millions of married women by making it nearly impossible for them to register or vote if they have changed their last name.
Under the proposed law, voters must provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship, such as a birth certificate or passport, but marriage certificates and name change documents would not be accepted. This means that women whose birth certificates do not match their current legal name could be blocked from voting—a potential disaster for up to 69 million married women in the U.S.
Wood County Democratic Chair Zach Schmidt condemned the bill, calling it a direct attack on women’s voting rights.
“The SAVE Act is an anti-democratic, anti-woman piece of legislation that would block millions of legally registered voters simply because they changed their last name. Women who have been voting for decades could suddenly find themselves shut out of the democratic process. This is voter suppression at its worst.”
How the SAVE Act Disenfranchises Married Women
- Requires proof of citizenship but does not allow name change or marriage certificates as valid documentation.
- Prevents millions of married women whose names have changed from proving their identity.
- Puts election officials at risk of criminal prosecution if they accept alternative proof, making voter registration even harder.
Schmidt emphasized the urgency of stopping this bill:
“If this law passes, millions of women will show up to vote and be turned away because their birth certificate doesn’t match their married name. This is an attack on women, plain and simple. We must fight back.”
The Wood County Democratic Party is urging everyone to call their representatives immediately and demand they vote NO on the SAVE Act.
Voters can find their representative here: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
“We cannot allow this brazen attempt to silence women’s voices at the ballot box,” Schmidt said. “Make your voice heard now before it’s too late.”
Submittted by Zach Schmidt, chair
Wood County Democratic Party
