Thank you for contacting me about the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. I appreciate hearing from you about this very important issue. 

The right to vote is essential to our democracy. Protecting that right is equally important. That is why federal law strictly prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections. The penalties for doing so are severe — fines, imprisonment, and even deportation. 

Despite noncitizen voting already being illegal, Senator Lee (R-UT) introduced S.128, the SAVE Act on January 16, 2025. The SAVE Act would require individuals to present in-person, citizenship documentation, such as a passport or birth certificate in order to register to vote or update their information. Imposing this requirement would create significant barriers to millions of American citizens who are eligible to vote. For example, millions of married women do not have birth certificates that match their legal names. The SAVE Act requirement would prevent them from registering to vote.

Voting gives Americans the ability to have their voices heard. Rather than obstructing access to the polls, we should focus on passing legislation that protects against discrimination in voting and ensures greater participation in our democratic process. Exercising the fundamental right to vote should be as simple and easy as possible.

Please be assured that I will keep your views in mind and that I will continue to support legislation that seeks to protect the fundamental right to vote for all Americans.

Again, thank you for contacting me. If you would like to stay in touch with me on this or other issues of importance to you, please visit my website at: https://www.hirono.senate.gov. Please do not hesitate to contact me again in the future if I may be of assistance to you in any way.

Aloha,

Mazie K. Hirono
United States Senator

You can follow my work in the U.S. Senate on Twitter. Additionally, please do not reply to this email as this mailbox unfortunately is for outgoing messages only. If you would like to contact me again, please visit my website.

My rebuttal to Senator Hirono's above response is simple:  Women are very capable people in our country. If any woman, 18 or older, or any US citizen living in America wants to vote in our elections then it is time that they do whatever it takes for them to have proper ID and proof of citizenship that it makes it possible for them to vote.  This is a requirement in other countries.

This voting legislation will not disenfranchise anyone unless that person doesn't really want to vote.  The argument that this voting act will disenfranchise millions of people just doesn't hold water. But this is the argument that democrats want to use to vote "no" on this legislation. 

I had to jump through hoops while I lived on Maui to prove who I was in order to renew my drivers license.  I will have to renew my drivers license, again, this coming August and I will have to once again jump through hoops and provide the necessary documentation (whatever the dmv wants), in order to do this.  If I want to continue to drive I will have to provide the necessary documentation that is required of me. 

When I go to donate blood, they will not accept me at the blood center if I don't have a valid driver license that features my picture...this is the Blood Banks way of insuring they are getting blood from people in the community who want to donate blood and have ID...that proves they are who they say they are when showing up for a scheduled appointment.
 

The elected people in Congress need to stop with this nonsense that people are't capable to do what is necessary to vote in our elections. If people are't citizens and don't have the necessary documentation to prove they are citizens, then we know who won't be voting at the polling places.  Voting in person should be a requirement and not this mail-in ballot routine that is being done wide-spread in America.   

Senator Hirono, please, don't make references to the penalties non-citizens are exposed to if they are voting in our federal elections.  You won't find any non-citizens facing penalties for voting in many states like California (a state where it is against the law for somebody to be asked if they are a citizen to vote.

Bottom line:  If a person wants to vote for the president of the U.S., then please, by all means, fulfill the necessary requirements that is needed to vote...it's just applying a small amount of common sense.