NJ Driver’s Licenses Would Be Useless For Voter Registration Under SAVE America Act

The process of voter registration in New Jersey could look different if the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, dubbed the SAVE America Act, is passed.

Currently, New Jerseyans need a valid Driver's License or a non-driver Identification Card issued by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC), or a Social Security number, to register to vote.

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Under the SAVE America Act, which is currently being debated in the Senate, people would need to provide “documentary proof of United States citizenship” in order to register to vote. This proof can be a birth certificate, a valid U.S. passport, or an Enhanced Driver's License (EDL) that proves citizenship.

However, New Jersey is one of several states that do not offer EDLs, and a REAL ID is not proof of citizenship in the Garden State. A REAL ID serves only as proof of lawful presence. In other words, someone who is living in the U.S. on a green card, for example, can obtain a REAL ID.

Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont, and Washington are the only five states that offer EDLs, meaning they’re the only states in which a driver’s license could be used for voter registration under the Act. Other states, including Florida and Iowa, have introduced legislation to require licenses to prove citizenship, but New Jersey has not made such moves.

Additionally, both documented and undocumented immigrants are able to obtain standard driver’s licenses in New Jersey. Since New Jersey licenses do not reflect citizenship status, they are unusable for voter registration under the SAVE America Act.

What this would mean for New Jersey citizens is that they would need to provide proof of citizenship and residency when registering to vote.

Critics of the Act say that its policies would disenfranchise voters, with one Senator calling it a “modern-day poll tax,” requiring citizens to potentially spend hundreds of dollars on passports.

According to the Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan, NYU-based law and policy institution, more than 21 million Americans lack ready access to the documents required for voter registration under the SAVE America Act.

The White House says the Act’s policies are “crucial for election integrity and voter security.”

The Save America Act would also greatly restrict the number of voters who could use mail-in ballots. Read more here: NJ Joins 22 States In Challenging Trump’s Newest Election Policy