On February 18, you published a letter I wrote concerning the negative impact the SAVE Act would have on people’s ability to vote. This proposed law will require everyone to bring documentary proof of citizenship with them when they register to vote. On February 22, a letter was published claiming that a compliant driver’s license, often called a Real ID, could be used to verify citizenship. This is not true! If you have a Real ID, inspect it carefully. It does not indicate that the holder of the ID is a citizen. Non-citizens who are here legally, such as Green Card holders, can get a Real ID. Ohio’s existing Real ID does not meet the citizenship verification requirement outlined in the federal SAVE Act. Most people will need a birth certificate or passport to register to vote. Please research this online if you doubt me.
Most Boards of Elections believe the system currently in place stops almost all non-citizens from voting. If you are not satisfied, tell your U.S. representatives you want a law that requires all states to collect citizenship information from their residents and input this into a centralized database. The law should provide funding to each state to cover the cost of the technology and of the staffing needed to verify the citizenship status of people who register to vote. We can stop non-citizens from voting without forcing citizens to jump through hoops and pay for documentation before they can participate in our democracy.
Debbie Dalke
Bowling Green
