Congresswoman Pou Opposes Intrusive Vote Bill

WASHINGTON, DC - Congresswoman Nellie Pou (D-NJ-09), today voted against H.R. 22, the so-called SAVE Act which would impose onerous restrictions on voting for millions of Americans.

"I voted against this bill because I believe it is a solution in search of a problem," said Congresswoman Pou. "Despite sensationalized stories, voting is safe and secure in the United States and systemic voter fraud is exceedingly rare. In our state of New Jersey, we do not have overly restrictive requirements to vote and yet cases of established fraud are rare. This overly-intrusive bill would create requirements that will impose burdens on voters, especially women, lower turnout, and raise frustration. It would also jeopardize the right to vote for every member of our military serving abroad.

"Candidly, I believe measures like this are designed not to safeguard elections but to cause distrust in our electoral processes and make it harder for everyday Americans to participate in democracy. Countering those few existing cases of voter fraud demand focused enforcement, not a nuclear response. So while I will always support securing democracy, I oppose this legislation."

The SAVE Act requires every American citizen registering to vote - whether through a new registration or an updated one - to provide, in-person, a passport or a birth certificate along with a current photo identification. A drivers license alone would not meet this requirement. This bill could disenfranchise millions of New Jerseyans, including almost 2 million women who no longer use their maiden name and all service members living outside New Jersey. If everyone without a passport got one to register to vote, it would cost New Jerseyans over $200 million. Importantly, it is already a crime for non-citizens to vote, and penalties include prison time and deportation.

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