Ahead of a contentious midterm election, Congress is considering legislation that would raise barriers to voting. Take action.

Over the coming weeks, several lawmakers are quietly pushing for legislation that would make voting and voter registration more difficult for millions of American citizens. The SAVE Act, if enacted, would create additional burdens on voters to provide eligibility – which non-partisan experts say would not make any noticeable change to election security. The adjustments would disproportionately impact rural, low-income and marginalized communities, and members of Tribal Nations, by making it harder to both prove eligibility and register to vote. “These measures erect new barriers for people facing significant challenges registering and voting, especially those with unstable housing, geographic isolation, or limited access to government-issued documents,” assesses the National Low Income Housing Coalition in which the ELCA participates. 

The ELCA strongly affirms voter participation as an exercise in citizenship and condemns efforts to restrict access – especially for low-income communities which are often left out of the election process. The ELCA social message “Government and Civic Engagement in the United States: Discipleship in a Democracy” urges rejection of “antidemocratic exclusion” efforts to restrict voting, including “requiring voters to show identification without issuing identification to all eligible voters,” purging voter rolls, and more.  

If passed, the SAVE Act would:  

1. Hastily prompt adjustments to states’ voting systems in a rush ahead of a busy election season. 

2. Require strict proof of citizenship to register (and exclude common documents like drivers licenses) which millions of American citizens don’t have access to, such as a passport or birth certificate. 

3. Place burden of verification not on internal state processes but on the efforts of individual citizens with the new regulation burdens. 

Lawmakers should be aware of the challenges this legislation poses, and of the moral concerns from the Christian community ahead of any possible vote. Customizing this message with your top concerns and values will improve your impact. Urge Congress to reject the SAVE Act.