Oregon Leaders Push Back as Trump Demands Citizenship Proof and Limits on Mail Voting
Oregon has stepped into the fray since President Donald Trump announced that he will no longer sign bills into law until the Senate passes his SAVE America Act, which would end mail-in voting and require voters to prove their U.S. citizenship.
Oregon’s Senior U.S. Senator and Secretary of State Spearhead Push Back
The president says the Act is necessary if the U.S. is to stop voter fraud, but Oregon’s senior U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and Secretary of State Tobias Read think otherwise.
They denounced the act as an attempt to undermine Oregonians’ right to vote and a move by the federal government to end mail-in voting and impose eligibility restrictions on residents.
Addressing a press conference on Friday, at which they described the proposed legislation as voter suppression tactics disguised as election integrity, Wyden said it had nothing to do with democracy, but was rather aimed at ensuring a victory for Trump.
The proposed legislation will disenfranchise millions of voters in the May mid-term election, one that is predicted to be unfavorable for Trump and his GOP supporters.
The SAVE America Act will Disenfranchise Legitimate Voters
Apart from requiring states to remake their voter registration systems at great additional cost, Read said the bill will create chaos for election workers. Both he and Wyden believe the Act will create an additional barrier to disenfranchising legitimate voters, preventing them from casting a ballot at the polls.
They point out that married women will be disproportionately impacted if their names do not match their birth certificates, and will also impact people who do not have the time to vote in person, rural voters unable to travel long distances to reach the polls, and low-income voters who cannot afford the cost of a passport.
The SAVE American Act requires voters to provide proof of citizenship and to show ID when casting their ballots.
| Topic | Oregon now | SAVE bill |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | Voters attest citizenship when registering | Would require documentary proof of citizenship |
| How ballots are sent | Ballots mailed to active voters 2 to 3 weeks before statewide elections | Mail registrants would face added citizenship document steps |
| Mail ballot rules | Ballots can be returned by mail or official drop box | Would require photocopy ID for absentee or mail ballot steps |
| Election admin | Single statewide vote by mail process | Adds new list checks with no phase in or federal funding |
Known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, the bill has been passed by the House of Representatives, but has failed to receive majority support in the Senate.
Wyden has pledged to oppose the bill in the Senate, where it is expected to go to a vote next week.
Oregon Records Reveal Voter Fraud Amounts to Only 0.00006% Across 61 Million Ballots Cast
Oregon has recorded a mere 38 criminal convictions for voter fraud across 61 million ballots cast, according to a 2020 analysis by the state’s Legislative Fiscal Office.
Source: Oregon Legislative Fiscal Office 2020 vote by mail issue review / Oregon Secretary of State elections FAQ
Dailytidings.com
The recorded rate of voter fraud equates to 0.0006%, underscoring how seldom documented fraud has been recorded in the state.