The House of Representatives will vote soon on the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, but voting rights advocates said it could keep some Nevadans from casting their ballots.
House Republicans claim the bill is aimed at weeding out election fraud. Studies, however, show it is nearly nonexistent. If passed, citizens would be required to show in-person documentation, such as a passport or a birth certificate, for federal elections.
Kerry Durmick, Nevada state director for the advocacy group All Voting is Local Action, pointed out Nevada already uses state and federal data to verify identities.
"This bill is really trying to solve a problem that just does not exist," Durmick contended. "I think also what is going to happen if this does go into place is online voter registration will be decimated by this legislation."
Durmick noted the measure would require all voters to travel to their designated election office. And for those in rural parts of the state, it can be an hours-long ordeal. Voters in Nye County could spend more than four hours on a round trip to get to their closest election office.
Durmick added millions of Americans simply do not have the required documents on hand. She argued the legislation would disproportionately affect certain groups like rural and tribal voters, the elderly, college students, as well as active military service members and married women whose last name does not match their birth certificate.
Durmick called the current system efficient at ensuring integrity.
"Some people don't know this but if you are a noncitizen and decide to register and decide to vote that actually can lead to a deportation," Durmick emphasized.
Sarah Harris, director of media engagement for the nonprofit Stand Up America, said some states, such as Kansas, enacted legislation similar to the proposal in Congress, and more than 30,000 eligible citizens were blocked from registering to vote. She called it bad for democracy.
"We are seeing that vote might happen within the next few weeks," Harris observed.
Harris added groups like hers are concerned about what she called a "dangerous bill."