Jess Piper is a Democratic activist and former school teacher who lives in northeast Missouri. I’ve been reading her excellent blog, The View from Rural Missouri, for over a year. Her descriptions of the social and political environment where she lives sound very much like those here in western Idaho: Small towns populated with hard-working people, many of whom are struggling to get by. A Republican supermajority that is not responsive to the needs of the people. And growing clusters of people – Democrats and Independents – who want to see real change and who are making their voices heard.
One of Jess’ most recent posts was titled “Voter Passport”. In it, she detailed the different costs that many voters would incur if the SAVE America Act passes and we are required to prove our citizenship in order to register to vote.
Jess’ cost breakdown includes several items necessary so she could update her driver’s license to REAL ID. These were:
- $15 for a copy of her birth certificate from Louisiana
- $20 for two copies of marriage certificates that prove her name change. (She’s been married twice.)
- $27 for the new driver’s license
Total: $62
Then she discovered that REAL IDs are not sufficient to meet the requirements of the SAVE Act, so she’ll have to get a passport. That’s another $165.
Jess said she didn’t have a passport because she had never travelled outside the US. And she is far from alone.
“I represent about 50% of the country. About half of Americans do not have a passport. For many of us, it’s not even the lack of international travel that keeps us from owning a passport. It is the cost of the passport itself. A passport is $165 in a time of inflation and high grocery prices and increasing rent and insurance rates. That’s a lot of money for folks barely making it in the first place.”
The problem is not just the cost. There’s also the time involved. Getting copies of birth certificates and marriage certificates can take time – either standing in line or waiting for documents to be sent from other cities or states. And a passport can take weeks to arrive. As Jess notes, “Even if a voter has the time and money to dedicate to getting a passport, delays could keep millions from voting in November.”
To Jess, preventing people from voting is the whole point.
“The SAVE Act was never about election integrity or keeping elections fair. It is about building a paywall around the ballot and hoping we’re too exhausted or too broke to participate.
“When half the country doesn’t even have a passport, turning that into the price of admission to democracy is corrupt. It isn’t fair and it isn’t supposed to be. The SAVE Act is meant to keep us home so they can steal an election.”
Jess concludes her post with a call to action – call your Senators and tell them to vote “no” on the SAVE America Act or any bill like it.
We’ll end with the same request. Call Mike Crapo and Jim Risch and tell them to vote “no”. Here are their numbers:
Mike Crapo – (202) 224-6142
Jim Risch – (202) 224-2752
And here’s an easy to follow script from 5Calls.org:
Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from Lewiston.
I’m calling to urge Senator Risch to oppose the House-passed SAVE America Act, which would create unnecessary barriers to voter registration and disenfranchise countless voters, especially women, seniors, and low-income citizens. The bill is designed to block voters despite no evidence of widespread fraud.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
IF LEAVING VOICEMAIL: Please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied.
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