Statement from Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights on the SAVE America Act

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
March 18, 2026 

CONTACT:    
Zindy Marquez    
Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights    
zmarquez@clccrul.org    

Statement from Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights on the SAVE America Act

CHICAGO, IL, March 18, 2026: Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights strongly opposes the SAVE America Act, which could silence millions of eligible voters by creating new barriers to voter registration that make it harder for Americans to make their voices heard.

This bill imposes new and unnecessary barriers to the registration process, requiring eligible voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship in order to register to vote, including passports or birth certificates. More than 21 million Americans are unable to access the additional documents that would be required to register to vote under this bill. The SAVE Act adds unnecessary hurdles for all voters—including people of color, members of the U.S. military, naturalized citizens, LGTBQ+ people, married women, and people in rural areas—that could deny millions of eligible voters access to the ballot.

Key provisions in the legislation that would significantly alter the voting process include: imposing extreme documentation requirements that would create one of the harshest voter suppression laws nationwide, upend paper and online voter registration, mandate states to conduct voter purges that rely on outdated databases, and subject election workers to harsh criminal penalties for helping voters participate in our democracy.

“The SAVE America Act represents a direct assault on the foundation of our democracy and a calculated threat to the right to vote,” said Ami Gandhi, Director of the Midwest Voting Rights Program with Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights. “We should be working to make our elections more inclusive and accessible, not adding restrictions to control who is able to participate in our democracy. We urge Illinois officials to safeguard the right to vote for Illinois citizens by passing the Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2026 (SB 3170), introduced by Senator Graciela Guzmán alongside the Illinois Voting Rights Coalition. Illinois has the opportunity to create a stronger and more equitable democracy; it is time to codify voting rights protections into state law.”
For more information on the Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2026, click here. 

###