The SAVE America Act: Where It Stands and What It Means for County Election Administration
This event is available on-demand. If you have any issues accessing the recording, please email nacomeetings@naco.org.
NACo is hosting a webinar on the SAVE America Act and where it currently stands. Participants will hear an overview of what the bill would require, the implementation timeline and cost implications for county election offices, and where things stand in the Senate. The briefing will be followed by a moderated discussion with two county election officials on what compliance would actually look like on the ground and why counties are opposed.
Background
Elections in the United States are primarily carried out by state and local governments. Counties alone run more than 100,000 polling places supported by 770,000 certified poll workers.
On July 22, the House advanced the SAVE America Act (H.R. 7296/S. 1383) on two parallel tracks: passing the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA; H.R. 8800) with the full SAVE America Act text attached; and separately passing a budget reconciliation framework, also referred to as Reconciliation 3.0 (H. Con Res. 113), that would include a grant incentive built around SAVE America Act-style provisions.
The SAVE America Act is much more than a voter-ID bill. It requires all voters to present documentary proof of citizenship, usually a passport or birth certificate at the time of registration, and imposes heavy administrative burdens on counties to develop systems and processes that meet the heightened registration requirements with no dedicated federal funding source and an immediate implementation requirement upon passage.
Speakers
- Chris Walker, County Clerk, Jackson County, Ore.
- Kim Trueblood, County Clerk, Marathon County, Wis.
Watch Recording
Click here to access the recording in a new window.
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With the rapidly evolving federal legislative landscape, counties can get caught in the middle of policy changes with little guidance.
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The Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision to allow the Trump administration to move forward with its Executive Order 14399 directing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to compile official U.S. citizenship lists to be used in voter citizenship verification and the U.S. Postal Service to impose new mail-in ballot restrictions.
USPS releases its final rule affecting mail-in voting for federal elections
The USPS released its final rule imposing new requirements on how state and local governments must administer mail-in voting, including new ballot envelope requirements and the creation of a national portal of mail-in voter data.
House advances SAVE America Act — counties urged to contact Senators now
NACo urges counties to reach out to Senators opposing immediate and unfunded changes to election administration in the SAVE America Act (H.R. 7296/S. 1383), which the House passed as part the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 8800).
