FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 30th, 2026
***Press Statement***
The Declaration for American Democracy Coalition Opposes Continued Effort to Advance the SAVE Act
These harmful, anti-democracy bills would disenfranchise millions of eligible voters
This week, House Republicans relaunched efforts to advance the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility SAVE Act, with two new iterations on that legislation: the Make Elections Great Again Act (MEGA) and the Save America Act. While under new policy names, these new bills still meet Republican members’ of Congress goal – to disenfranchise millions of eligible voters from participating in upcoming elections.
Just like the SAVE Act, this legislation includes overly restrictive requirements for eligible voters to present specific proof of citizenship documents (either their passport or an original copy of their birth certificate), every time they register to vote or or update their voter registration.
It’s important to note that birth certificates are needed for passport validation, and many Americans cannot afford to obtain or renew a passport. In fact, more than half of American citizens – 150 million people – do not have a passport, and many other Americans do not have access to their birth certificates.
Following the announcement, Declaration For American Democracy (DFAD) co-directors Allison Pulliam and Christine Wood say this proposal is a dangerous escalation in the effort to block voter access and cast doubt on the legitimacy of U.S. elections:
“This renewed effort to advance the SAVE Act is a blatant attempt by Congressional Republicans to make it harder for millions of eligible Americans to vote, all while spreading disinformation about the security of U.S. elections in a thinly veiled plot designed to sow doubt in the legitimacy of U.S. elections.”
“Our democracy works best when all of us, regardless of color, party, income, or zip code, have an equal say in the decisions that shape our future. Instead of advancing legislation that would disenfranchise millions of eligible voters, Congress should take actions that will strengthen our elections and ensure that all eligible voters have access to the ballot box.
MEDIA CONTACT: For media inquiries, please email christine@DFADCoalition.Org
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The Declaration for American Democracy is a diverse coalition of over 260 democracy, environmental, labor, faith-based, good government, women’s rights, civil rights, and other groups focused on advancing the structural changes necessary to ensure our democracy reflects, responds to, and represents voters.
