The SAVE Act would be bad news for voters

When Jim Crow ruled, my schoolteacher parents were denied the right to vote.

Why? Because of their race.

Same thing with my grandparents. And my great-grandparents. As well as all the enslaved ancestors toiling on plantations who preceded them.

So you could never convince me to support any sort of poll tax. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever.

Same thing with literacy tests. Or any other roadblock Republican politicians dream up to try and get between hardworking Americans and our constitutional right to cast a ballot.

But building barriers is exactly what is happening with the so-called SAVE Act, passed last week by the House.

The proposed legislation, which stands for Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, is deceptively named — it’s actually one of the worst threats to voter eligibility we’ve seen in years. If passed by the Senate, it would intentionally make the process of registering to vote in federal elections much more difficult.

» READ MORE: To honor John Lewis, we must turn back the rising tide of voter suppression | Opinion

It would require that anyone registering to vote take the additional step of providing documentation in person to prove their American citizenship.

That’s not always as easy as it sounds. Ask yourself: How would you go about doing that? Would you run and grab your birth certificate? But what if the name on that document doesn’t match the one you have now? That’s the case with the 80% of women who take their husband’s last name after they wed.

Passage of the SAVE Act would make it harder for married women to register than it would be for their spouses. That reeks of patriarchal privilege, and — in the words of a wise woman who is hopefully protecting her peace these days — we’re not going back. The same potential mismatched name problem could also apply to trans people, as well. Or even adoptees, in some instances.

There are plenty of other reasons why it’s not always that easy for people to access their official birth certificates. Mine is safely secured these days, but there was a time in my life when I didn’t know where it was and had to go through the hassle of getting a replacement.

And let’s not forget that many Americans were never issued birth certificates in the first place. For years, many hospitals, particularly in the South, were segregated and refused to admit African Americans. My maternal grandmother — who had 10 children — regularly gave birth at home. Just about the only official thing she did back then was record the names and birth dates of her kids in an old family Bible.

Some Puerto Ricans born on the island before July 1, 2010, may be similarly challenged since their birth certificates were invalidated by the Puerto Rican government more than a decade ago.

Would-be voters could produce their passports as proof of their citizenship under the SAVE Act. But roughly half of all Americans don’t have one. So again, it’s not that easy. Times are hard. Some people can’t afford to pay $160 to apply for one.

Another option would be to produce a REAL ID. But the problem with that is many — including me — don’t have a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license. (Note to self: Make an appointment to get one ASAP.)

Also, if the SAVE Act is passed, voters could present a government or military ID if it includes their place of birth. But once again, many folks don’t have that, either.

Congress needs to make it easier for Americans to exercise their civic responsibility — not do the opposite.

But that’s what Republicans are doing. The GOP understands that if the masses turn out to vote, they lose.

Proponents argue measures like the SAVE Act will prevent noncitizens from voting in elections.

They need to stop.

Despite President Donald Trump’s repeated claims, there’s no proof noncitizens voting happens in substantial enough numbers to warrant concern. Continuing to claim it happens without credible evidence is fearmongering.

There’s an awful lot going on right now. Seniors are worried about Social Security. Trump-imposed tariffs are roiling financial markets. Federal workers are losing their jobs. But we can’t let the Republican-led Congress get away with this.

Democrats and conscientious Republicans in the Senate must band together and stop the SAVE Act from becoming law.

We’ve seen this kind of voter suppression before. We’ve been down this road before. We can’t let them get away with it again.