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Karen Finney at (202) 659-4929 communications@ncbcp.com
Tyrice Johnson at (205) 643-4755 newmedia@ncbcp.org
Lon Walls at (301) 996-1669 walls@wallscomm.com,
STATEMENT: National Coalition on Black Civic Participation Calls on U.S. Senate to Reject the Discriminatory “SAVE Act”
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP) issues an urgent call to the United States Senate to vote NO on the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. Under the guise of “election integrity,” this legislation is a direct assault on the hard-won voting rights of Black Americans, designed to create insurmountable barriers to the ballot box for millions of eligible citizens.
“Our democracy works best when every voice is heard, not when the government creates a bureaucratic maze to silence its citizens,” said Melanie L. Campbell, President and CEO of NCBCP. “The SAVE Act is a solution in search of a problem that only serves to disenfranchise Black, Brown, young and low-income voters. We cannot let this bill take us backward. Further, this is an attempt by this Administration to nationalize the election for partisan gain in the 2026 Mid-Term Election cycle.”
For nearly 50 years, the NCBCP has fought for a barrier-free democracy. The SAVE Act represents the opposite: it is a federal voter suppression tactic rooted in the "Big Lie" and fueled by debunked conspiracy theories about noncitizen voting, which is already illegal and virtually nonexistent.
The SAVE Act would require every American to provide documentary proof of citizenship, specifically a passport or an original birth certificate to register to vote or update their registration. This is not just an "inconvenience"; it is a modern day poll tax that disproportionately harms Black and low-income communities.
Studies show that nearly 1 in 10 voting eligible citizens do not have ready access to these specific documents. For Black Americans, the numbers are even higher due to historical systemic inequalities and the high costs of obtaining replacements.
Many Black elders, particularly in The South, were born at home with the help of midwives during the era of Jim Crow and were never issued formal birth certificates. This law would effectively strip them of their right to vote.
Women who have changed their names due to marriage or divorce would face additional hurdles, as their current identification would not match their birth certificates, requiring even more costly and time consuming paperwork.
The SAVE Act deliberately excludes student IDs as a valid form of identification for registration. For hundreds of thousands of Black students at HBCUs and other institutions, their student ID is their primary form of identification. By disqualifying these IDs, the bill creates a targeted barrier intended to silence the voices of the next generation of Black leaders.
By requiring these documents to be presented in person, the SAVE Act would effectively end online voter registration, mail-in registration, and the community-based voter registration drives at churches and barbershops that are vital to our civic engagement.
NCBCP is calling on all supporters of voting rights, freedom and democracy to take immediate action today. We must flood the halls of the U. S. Senate with our voices.
How You Can Help:
- Call Your U. S. Senators Today: Use the U. S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to be connected to your U.S. Senator's office.
- The Message: "I am your constituent, and I am calling to urge the Senator to vote NO on the SAVE Act. This bill creates unnecessary barriers for millions of eligible voters, especially in minority and low-income communities, and undermines our fundamental right to vote. We need laws that expand access, not suppress it."
The right to vote is sacred. We have marched, bled, and died for this right—and we will not stand by while it is dismantled. Vote NO on the SAVE Act.
