A Republican proposal ostensibly aimed at discouraging noncitizens from voting in federal elections — an act that is already illegal and rarely happens, experts say — could have another effect: discouraging women from taking part in democracy.
The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, reintroduced by Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas this legislative session, seeks to amend the National Voter Registration Act to mandate that eligible voters provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections, a response to unsubstantiated concerns of widespread noncitizen voting. Voting rights advocates and legal experts worry, however, that the bill also threatens to restrict voting access for women — and millions of other Americans — by making it harder for them to prove they are eligible to cast a ballot.
