These days, any political headline can feel like an impending doom, particularly for Black women. It’s easy to feel like the current administration is settled on disempowering them, understandably leaving them on the defense.
The worry only continues to build, as new proposed bills lead to even more confining circumstances for women in America. In fact, the 2025 SAVE Act that the Republican-controlled House just passed has some who are married fearing that their right to register and vote may be at risk. Here’s what to know about how this will impact women voter registration.
What is the SAVE Act 2025?
The Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility Act, commonly referred to as the SAVE Act, is a bill that will require all people registering to vote to bring proof of citizenship in person to a voter registration site. Passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on April 10th, the intent behind this act is to limit online, vote-by-mail, and noncitizen voting. This is fueled by a panic about voter fraud, which multiple studies have debunked as a real issue. The act will ultimately make voting harder for citizens, and seemingly married women.
This is because under the SAVE Act, proof of citizenship is listed as an ID plus a birth certificate, a passport, or another form of ID. The combination of an ID plus a birth certificate could present some complications for married women. This is because of the fact that they may not have a last name that matches their birth certificates.
While the SAVE Act does not include guidance on how to navigate this, it’s been made very clear that any poll worker who does not follow the protocol will face jail time.
Will the SAVE Act Impact Married Women?
While it’s seemingly not the direct intent behind the act, the approximately 69 million married women who changed their last names will be directly impacted by this act. Their name change often results in a discrepancy between their current legal name and the name on their birth certificate. That will make it difficult for them to navigate the now-imposed checkpoints.
Opponents of the bill have been loud and vocal about their concern that difficulties could arise during women voter registration. The legislation does not clearly outline acceptable forms of documentation to reconcile name differences. This could lead to confusion among poll workers, disenfranchising perfectly eligible voters.
Married women aren’t the only demographic at risk. Transgender individuals who have changed their name on their ID will not have a name that matches their birth certificate. This could lead to denied voting ability. Older Black Americans are also less likely to have a birth certificate because they were denied hospital births during segregation. Low-income voters are less likely to have a passport. Plus, it would be especially hard for rural voters who don’t have transportation or time off of work to go and register.
However, while there has been an understandable emotional reaction, there is still hope. The bill has passed the House, but it now moves to the Senate. It faces uncertain prospects, due to the need for bipartisan support. It could very well get shut down, or at the very least tweaked to alleviate the ambiguity. In the meantime, it’s important to not only remain informed, but to be communally active and speak up against political disempowerment.