The False Fear of Noncitizen Voting

The "False Fear of Noncitizen Voting" has dominated the political discourse, with President Donald Trump repeatedly pushing for the SAVE Act. This bill aims to require every American to show a passport or birth certificate in person to register to vote, effectively ending online and mail-in registration. Despite repeated allegations, federal law already bars noncitizens from voting, and repeated hunts for violators have found virtually no evidence.

The SAVE Act, while framed as a fraud-prevention measure, could ultimately keep eligible citizens off voter rolls rather than stopping alleged noncitizen voting.

Trump has claimed that the SAVE Act would "guarantee the midterms" for Republicans, ensuring they "will not lose an election for 100 years." However, the bill should be a cause for alarm for voters across the political spectrum. Free and fair elections are the backbone of our democracy, allowing us to select our leaders and hold them accountable.

The SAVE Act undermines this fundamental principle by potentially making it impossible for millions of Americans to exercise their right to vote and by granting unprecedented new powers to the federal government over election administration and voter data. These powers should always belong to the states.

The Trump Administration's fearmongering extends beyond the SAVE Act. The Department of Justice has demanded full, unredacted voter rolls from nearly all states and the District of Columbia, including driver’s license and partial Social Security numbers. When states refused, DOJ filed lawsuits against 30 of them and D.C. For those who did comply, DOJ shared the data with the Department of Homeland Security to "scrub aliens from voter rolls."

If states still provided the data, Homeland Security threatened state election officials with prison time if they didn't comply.

This intimidation isn't limited to officials; it also targets voters. Trump's advisor, Steve Bannon, has suggested deploying ICE to polling stations, a proposal that he deems "intimidating." Even Trump himself has stated that he would "do anything necessary" to ensure honest elections, though he has already acknowledged that federal agents cannot be deployed at polling places.

The Trump Administration's actions, particularly under the guise of preserving election integrity, represent a direct threat to democratic principles such as due process, the balance of powers, and the Constitution. The administration's rhetoric and actions risk sowing mistrust in our electoral systems and could lead to mass disenfranchisement.

It's crucial for citizens to recognize this pattern and take action to protect our democracy before it's too late.