HYDE-SMITH PROMOTES SAVE AMERICA ACT, SAYING ‘AMERICAN ELECTIONS ARE FOR AMERICAN CITIZENS’

HYDE-SMITH PROMOTES SAVE AMERICA ACT, SAYING 'AMERICAN ELECTIONS ARE FOR AMERICAN CITIZENS'

In Speech, Senator Says Voting Rights, Democracy Didn't Collapse Under Mississippi's Successful Voter ID Requirement

VIDEO: Senator Hyde-Smith Advocates for Passage of SAVE America Act.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today pointed to Mississippi's successful voter ID law in a floor speech advocating Senate passage of the SAVE America Act, which she cosponsored.

Hyde-Smith's speech is part a broader effort by Senate Republicans to advance the legislation (S.1383) and overcome Democrat opposition to requiring a photo ID to vote in a federal election.

"The principle at the heart of this legislation could not be simpler, and it could not be more important: American elections are for American citizens. The fact that we are even here debating this tells you everything you need to know about how far some in this great country have drifted from common sense," Hyde-Smith said.

Hyde-Smith recalled her work on election integrity as a state senator and her support for the citizen-led initiative that eventually led to the state implementing voter ID requirements in 2014.

"Photo IDs have been required at the polls in Mississippi since 2014. And let me tell you something: the Civil Rights Division of the Obama Department of Justice reviewed Mississippi's voter ID law, deemed it lawful, and never took a single legal action against it. Because it is lawful, it is fair, and it works - despite naysayer arguments that a photo ID requirement would place undue burdens on the elderly, the poor, and minorities," Hyde-Smith said. "Did voting rights in Mississippi collapse? No. Did democracy in my state end? No. Mississippians vote, and our elections are decided by American citizens, who have greater public confidence in the integrity of our electoral system."

Hyde-Smith said the fact that a broad, bipartisan majority of Americans support requiring voter IDs is based on evidence of illegal immigrants sometimes voting in elections and growing belief that more noncitizens will take advantage of loopholes to register and vote - especially in states that issue drivers licenses to noncitizens.

The Senator said requiring proof of citizen to vote in elections is neither "radical" nor "voter suppression."

"We can debate a lot of things in this chamber. But we should not be debating whether American elections should be decided by Americans. The answer is yes," Hyde-Smith said. "For a dozen years, Mississippi voters have produced photo IDs before they vote, and they do so with the knowledge that this simple act helps to ensure the integrity of their vote. This is the same goal at the heart of the SAVE America Act."

"Let's defend the ballot box and restore confidence in our elections. The right to vote in this great nation belongs to the citizens of this great nation," the Senator concluded.

The SAVE America Act would:

• Require proof of identity by photo ID at the time of voting in a federal election.
• Require states to obtain documentary proof of U.S. citizenship and identity - in person - when registering an individual to vote in a federal election.
  • Direct states to establish a process for applicants that do not have documentary proof of citizenship (due to religious reasons or otherwise) but are in fact U.S. citizens, subject to minimum standards.
  • Direct states to provide reasonable accommodations for disabled Americans and applicants that have discrepancies on their documentation due to a name change, including by signing a written affidavit.
• Require states to establish a program to remove non-citizens from their existing voter rolls and give states immediate, no-cost access to federal databases with citizenship information to do so.
• Empower citizens to bring civil suits against election officials that fail to uphold SAVE America Act proof of citizenship requirements via the existing National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) private right of action, and adds penalties for federal, state, and local officials that register non-citizens to vote in federal elections.
• Direct the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to update any guidance associated with the SAVE America Act, streamline updates to federal forms under the Paperwork Reduction Act, and ensure states with same-day registration can comply with the bill.

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