SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — The Illinois House Ethics & Elections Committee held a heated discussion Tuesday night about potential consequences of President Donald Trump's SAVE Act.
Trump and congressional Republicans hope to require Americans show a passport or their birth certificate when they register to vote or renew their registration. Yet, many nonpartisan organizations have criticized the idea due to the fact the vast majority of Americans don't have those documents and the plan would prohibit online voter registration.
Over 2.5 million women in Illinois would also be blocked from voting under the SAVE Act because they changed their surname when they got married.
Rep. Katie Stuart (D-Edwardsville) said the Trump proposal could cause major problems for older voters like her mother-in-law as well.
"Her birth certificate does not match her ID," Stuart said. "She would not be able to vote. You're going to disenfranchise my 85-year-old mother-in-law with this act. If my mother-in-law were to move, she would lose her ability to be a registered voter."
Stuart also said the SAVE Act could drastically change voting for people with disabilities by requiring them to request vote-by-mail ballots in person.
Still, Illinois House Republicans argue the legislation could prevent voter fraud and potential swings in election results. Rep. Patrick Windhorst (R-Metropolis) shared data from a study conducted by the Electoral Studies publication surrounding the 2008 and 2010 elections.
"In the 2008 election, their estimate was that 6.4% of noncitizens voted in the 2008 general election. Their estimate was that that was enough to swing the state of North Carolina from John McCain to Barack Obama," Windhorst said. "Their estimate was that that was enough to provide the Senate Democrats with their 60th vote that was enough to defeat the filibuster after the 2008 election."
Windhorst said that data shows there is evidence of an issue with noncitizen voting. Although, nonpartisan advocates said the minuscule number of noncitizens somehow able to cast votes would not change election results.
"Disenfranchising millions of voters, including disproportionately women and people of color, will drastically change the outcome of elections," said CHANGE Illinois Policy Director Eli Brottman. "There is human error in everything, including the hypothetical future implementation of the SAVE Act."
United States senators will have the final say on whether or not the SAVE Act becomes law.
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