Fact Check: "New citizenship tool could disenfranchise millions due to documentation issues."
What We Know
The claim centers around the implementation of the Safeguard American Voting Eligibility (SAVE) Act and a new citizenship verification tool developed by the Trump administration. The SAVE Act proposes that voters must provide documentary proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate or passport, to register to vote. This requirement has raised concerns among voting rights advocates and officials, who argue that it could disenfranchise millions of eligible voters, particularly marginalized groups including women, college students, and people of color (Taking it to the Streets).
The new citizenship verification tool, developed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), aims to help state and local election officials verify the citizenship status of voters more efficiently. However, it has been criticized for potentially leading to disenfranchisement, as many eligible voters may not possess the required documentation. According to reports, the tool was developed rapidly and without sufficient public scrutiny, raising alarms among privacy advocates and election experts (Trump DHS links data for new citizenship tracking tool).
Analysis
The SAVE Act's requirement for documentary proof of citizenship is a significant change in voting regulations that could create barriers for many eligible voters. Critics, including U.S. Representative George Latimer and State Senator Shelley B. Mayer, argue that this legislation is not about safeguarding elections but rather about suppressing voter participation among groups that may have difficulty providing the necessary documentation (Taking it to the Streets). They emphasize that existing laws already address the issue of non-citizen voting, which occurs very rarely and is subject to legal penalties.
Moreover, the DHS's new citizenship verification tool has been described as a "sea change" in how voter eligibility is verified, integrating federal databases to check citizenship status. While this could streamline the process for election officials, it raises concerns about privacy and the potential for eligible voters to be mistakenly disenfranchised due to lack of documentation (Trump DHS links data for new citizenship tracking tool). Legal experts have expressed alarm over the lack of transparency in the development of this tool, suggesting that it could lead to significant errors in voter registration and verification processes (Trump DHS links data for new citizenship tracking tool).
The combination of the SAVE Act and the new verification tool indicates a trend towards stricter voting regulations that could disproportionately affect millions of eligible voters, particularly those who may not have easy access to the required documentation.
Conclusion
The claim that the new citizenship tool could disenfranchise millions due to documentation issues is True. The SAVE Act's requirements for proof of citizenship, coupled with the implementation of the DHS's citizenship verification tool, create significant barriers for many eligible voters. The potential for disenfranchisement is particularly concerning for marginalized groups who may struggle to provide the necessary documentation to exercise their right to vote.
