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Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) has sharply criticized the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, warning it could disenfranchise married women, Asian Americans, and millions of other eligible voters. 

The bill, passed 220-208 on Apr.10 along largely partisan lines, would require individuals to present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship such as a passport or Real ID-compliant identification when registering to vote in federal elections.

Among those most at risk are approximately 69 million American women who have changed their names through marriage and do not possess passports, relying instead on birth certificates that no longer match their legal names. “This legislation presents an unnecessary and harmful barrier to voter registration,” said Christine Chen, executive director of Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote). “Many eligible voters including those in the Asian American and Pacific Islander community do not have readily available documents to meet SAVE Act requirements.”

The SAVE Act would eliminate common voter registration methods, including mail-in forms, online platforms, and community-driven registration drives—resources many AAPI voters rely on. APIAVote stressed that these methods are essential for communities that often face language barriers, geographic isolation, and limited access to government services.

“Not only does the SAVE Act impair government efficiency, it does so by harming many people’s right to vote,” said Chen. “The fact that there has been so little evidence of non-eligible voters casting ballots in federal elections underscores the point that requiring documentary proof of citizenship in-person in order to register, or re-register, to vote is an unnecessary solution to a nonexistent problem.”

Very recently, APIAVote joined a coalition of organizations to challenge Trump's executive order signed on Mar.25, which directs several federal agencies to change the rules for federal elections. As per the Trump directive, the Elections Assistance Commission (EAC) will change the federal voter registration form to require proof of citizenship in order to register for federal elections.

“Shameful attempt” to silence voters

Leaders of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) also issued a blistering response to the bill’s passage, calling it “a shameful attempt to silence the voices of millions of Americans”.

In their joint statement, CAPAC leaders pointed out that under the SAVE Act, even military service members deployed overseas could be forced to return home to register to vote. Married women who changed their surnames would not be able to use birth certificates as proof of citizenship, and 21 million eligible voters could face significant fees just to obtain the documentation required to vote.

“Adding unnecessary and expensive barriers to vote will disenfranchise millions of U.S. citizens and disproportionately impact the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community,” the statement read. “A majority of Asian American eligible voters are naturalized citizens who may lack immediate access to documentation required under this restrictive law.”

CAPAC Chair @RepGraceMeng and CAPAC Civil Rights & Voting Rights Task Force Chair @BobbyScott Denounce Republican Bill to Restrict Voting Rights: pic.twitter.com/YSZ6rh2Ib2

— CAPAC (@CAPAC) April 10, 2025

CAPAC also pointed to broader efforts they believe are designed to suppress voter participation. “President Trump is curtailing language access for individuals with Limited English Proficiency, making up one-third of the AANHPI community, which may affect multilingual assistance in voter registration,” they said, referencing Trump’s recent executive order to bar Americans from using birth certificates to register which is a part of a broader push to end birthright citizenship.

The statement said that it is already illegal under federal law for noncitizens to cast a ballot. “This legislation is not about safeguarding elections; it is a blatant assault on the constitutional rights of millions of Americans,” it added.