Elizabeth Banks is concerned about the proposed voting law. She thinks the paperwork would prevent eligible citizens from registering to vote.
Elizabeth Banks, an actress, made a video about the proposed Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE, Act. This is a proposed law that will be included in the 119th Congress. This law requires that the citizenship documents show the voter’s current legal name. Elizabeth Banks explained that she thinks it would prevent millions of Americans from registering to vote because their names would not match their citizenship documents.
@elizabethbanks I have voted since I was 18. The SAVE Act would make that much HARDER for me to do. Stop it. Tell your reps it’s no good.
♬ original sound – Elizabeth Banks
Elizabeth Banks showed her birth certificate, which listed her birth name as Elizabeth Mitchell and noted that she was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. She then showed her California driver’s license, which listed her professional name as Elizabeth Banks.
“Like millions and millions of women, I changed my name,” Elizabeth explained. She explained that she had to change her name for professional reasons, not due to marriage. She made the change 27 years ago and does not know which state she filed the paperwork with, so she would need to look for old records to show why her name was changed.
“The point is, it was 27 years ago,” she said. “I would have to go find that paperwork to show why these two things don’t match. But here’s the thing. They don’t match.”
Banks argued that mismatches like this are not uncommon, especially for people who have had their names changed. She said the rule could prevent people who cannot quickly access the necessary documentation from registering to vote.
She also mentioned the need for people to show their passports to prove their citizenship. However, she pointed out that not everyone is an American citizen. “Passports cost a hundred and something dollars to get,” she said. “We are not going to require people to get a passport to vote. This is a right in the Constitution.”
The SAVE Act is designed to prevent non-citizens from voting. Analysis by the Brennan Center indicates that fewer than 0.0001% of non-citizens vote. There is concern, however, that the law will unfairly affect citizens who cannot readily access documentation, including those living in rural areas or who have had their names changed.
Partners with the proposed law estimate that up to 21 million eligible citizens will have trouble with the documentation requirements.
Banks concluded by asking lawmakers to reconsider the proposed law. “Stop making it harder for people to vote. Start making it easier.”
