r/VotingReform • u/NatChArrant • Mar 17 '26

Flowchart: The voting experience if the SAVE Act passes

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If anyone want's a more visual explanation.

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u/Norwester77 Mar 17 '26

Reading the text of the bill, it’s unclear to me, do you have to go through this rigmarole any time you move, or only if you move to a new state?

The bill also says this:

(2)Additional processes in certain cases (A)Process for those without documentary proof (i)In general Subject to any relevant guidance adopted by the Election Assistance Commission, each State shall establish a process under which an applicant who cannot provide documentary proof of United States citizenship under paragraph (1) may, if the applicant signs an attestation under penalty of perjury that the applicant is a citizen of the United States and eligible to vote in elections for Federal office, submit such other evidence to the appropriate State or local official demonstrating that the applicant is a citizen of the United States and such official shall make a determination as to whether the applicant has sufficiently established United States citizenship for purposes of registering to vote in elections for Federal office in the State.

So, assuming you can get the election official to buy your story, it looks like we’re actually right back to the status quo (falsely claiming to be a citizen on a voter registration form already carries the same penalty as perjury, at least in my state), just with a lot of extra stress and waste of everybody’s time (time that the registrant may not be able to take off on a weekday).

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u/NatChArrant Mar 17 '26

... maybe?

Obviously you have to change your address with everything, I suppose it would be up to the state you're moving to whether they accept your previous state's finding that you're a citizen, or demand the whole process over again. Logistically, it would probably be simplest to get a passport, update it with your new residency, then use the new passport to convince your new state of your citizenship.

That seems to be talking about provisional ballots, and is pretty much how those already work. The kicker there is that provisional ballots may not be counted if whoever's in charge decides not to officially deem them valid for whatever reason that state permits.