Michigan lawmakers are advancing the Michigan SAVE Act (HB 4765), a proposal that could make it harder for eligible citizens to register and vote.

House Bill 4765 has been reported out of the Michigan House Election Integrity Committee and is now headed to the full House for a vote.

The bill would require people to provide documentary proof of citizenship, such as a passport or birth certificate, when registering to vote.

For many people, these documents are not easy to access. They can be expensive, time-consuming to obtain, or difficult to replace. These requirements could create new barriers that keep eligible voters from registering and participating in elections, including low-income voters, justice-impacted individuals, married women who have changed their names, voters with disabilities, and others who may not have easy access to these documents.

The bill would also place additional responsibility on local clerks to review and verify documents, creating new administrative burdens and increasing the risk of confusion and disputes in the voter registration process. In practice, this could lead to inconsistent decisions and make it harder for eligible voters to successfully register.

Michigan voters already affirm their citizenship under penalty of perjury when registering, and existing law already makes it illegal for noncitizens to vote.

Proposals like HB 4765 risk keeping eligible people from voting so that fewer voices are heard in our elections.

When people are kept from voting, it changes who has a say in the decisions that shape our communities and whose voices are left out.

Tell your Michigan State Representative to vote NO on the Michigan SAVE Act (HB 4765).

It only takes a minute to send a message.