The debate over the SAVE America Act, which requires, among other things, proof of citizenship for voter registration and proof of ID to cast a ballot, is still hung up in Congress. Frankly, it may be stuck for a while yet. Congressional Democrats are apparently employing the tactic of opposing their adversaries by punching themselves repeatedly in the face, but they still have the votes to make things difficult.
With all that going on, it's good to see that some states - red states - are acting on their own to get some of these election reforms in place.
Six states are likely to vote on new measures this fall that echo President Donald Trump’s top legislative priority. Republican lawmakers in Arkansas, Kansas, South Dakota and West Virginia have put various citizenship-related amendments on the ballot.
That's as it should be; the Constitution leaves most management of elections to the states, although Congress has the ability to set overarching regulations. Article I, Section IV, states:
The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of chusing Senators.
So, the primary responsibility lies with the states, but Congress can make regulations, like the SAVE America Act's regulations, that the states have to comply with, by statute.
Red states aren't waiting anymore.
In West Virginia, the most recent state to put a measure on the ballot, the amendment would change the state’s constitution from saying “citizens of the state shall be entitled to vote,” to “only citizens of the state who are citizens of the United States are entitled to vote.”
GOP Secretary of State Kris Warner said the change would prevent local officials from allowing noncitizens to vote in those races, but he conceded to WVNews that noncitizen voting is not a major issue in the state.
“It is an issue,” Warner said of noncitizens casting ballots in the state. “Would I tell you it’s a huge issue? I’m not going to say that.”
Isn't it a huge issue, though?
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Here's the thing: The numbers shouldn't matter so much. This isn't a matter of numbers. This is a matter of principle. Principles aren't dependent on numbers, statistics, percentages, or anything like that. Principles are fixed. If it is wrong for a non-citizen to vote in an American election, then it is always wrong, in every circumstance. It's wrong for one non-citizen to vote in an American election, and it's wrong for a million non-citizens to vote in an American election.
That's what principles are.
It's baffling to think that anyone would question the necessity of showing an ID to vote. Many, many of the aspects of our daily lives require an ID, from buying a bottle of booze to applying for a mortgage.
The SAVE Act would fix a lot of that. But it's stuck in the Senate. So the red states are stepping up. This is happening, one way or another, but as long as the blue states continue making life easier for election fraud, securing election integrity will still require Congress to act.
Editor’s Note: Republicans are fighting for election integrity by requiring proper identification to vote.
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