At Buen Vecino, we believe in fostering a community where the human dignity of every person is respected and where everyone has an equitable opportunity to participate in civic life.
The proposed Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE Act / S. 3752 / H.R. 22) threatens the values of civic engagement and egalitarianism that are the foundations of a healthy political system. By requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote, this bill:
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heightens an already volatile atmosphere of fear, distrust, and harm,
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further suppresses the legitimate voting power of Black, Indigenous, and immigrant community members, and
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creates additional deterrents for millions of eligible voters, including our own Southern California and Central Coast neighbors.
In fact, if the SAVE Act passes, 89 percent of California voters would not have been be able to register to vote or update their registration using the same method they utilized in 2024.
Weaponizing claims of fraud to justify stripping legally eligible voters of their civil rights is unacceptable. Evidence of fraud should be addressed through progress that improves voter integrity, not disinformation and bad faith assaults intended to harm and discourage entire communities of voters and scapegoat immigrants. California already has strong systems in place to root out voter fraud and protect the integrity of our elections. Layering stifling federal red tape only creates additional barriers for disenfranchised voters. Treating eligible voters as suspects disenfranchises them from the very civil rights they fought for and are legally entitled to exercise.
Voting is a fundamental democratic right. Requiring expensive and hard-to-access documents like passports or original birth certificates disproportionately harms Black, Indigenous, and all people of color, working-class families, disabled individuals, veterans, young people, rural Americans, women, elderly citizens, and many more. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of uniformed service members abroad and their families would be excluded from casting ballots. In short, passing the SAVE Act would result in a tiered system of citizenship where certain constituents have greater political ascendancy over others and where voter suppression is normalized.
When election participation does not mirror the demographic diversity of our state and nation, it undermines the institutional integrity of our government, rendering it unable to authentically represent our collective needs and values. These are just some of the reasons why California’s Secretary of State voiced concerns over the SAVE Act in 2025 and why California’s attorney general, alongside over 10 additional attorneys general, penned a letter opposing the SAVE Act this past February. Everyday Americans should not have to navigate bureaucratic hurdles and suffer substantial financial burdens to wield their decision-making power on the very issues that govern their daily lives and affect their futures.
Urge congress to VOTE NO on the SAVE Act! This bill does not protect our elections. Instead, it undermines the human dignity of our community members, creates barriers to exercising civil rights, and disenfranchises millions of voters throughout our state and nation by rolling back decades of advances.
The SAVE Act is an affront to all Americans, our electorate, and our free and fair elections. Democracy and justice require our active participation.
Do not let democracy die. Oppose the SAVE Act and protect the right to vote for all eligible Americans by outlawing discriminatory, costly, and unnecessary mandates. Thank you.