Territorial citizens' right to vote in US elections shunned in voting reform bill
Washington, D.C. — A voting reform bill, which CNMI Del. Gregorio Kilili Sablan had criticized for making it harder for U.S. citizens in the Marianas and other U.S. territories to register to vote, is now awaiting action in the U.S. Senate.
On July 10, the Republican-dominated House of Representatives passed H.R. 8281, commonly known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act.
If signed into law, the SAVE Act would present a double whammy for Guam, the CNMI and other territories where U.S. citizens cannot vote for the U.S. president. Under H.R. 8281, U.S. citizens born in the territories might not be able to register to vote if they relocate to the mainland U.S.
The final House vote largely fell along party lines, with 216 Republican lawmakers unanimously voting for its passage, while 198 Democrats voted “no.”
The bill is supposed to prevent non-U.S. citizens from voting in federal elections. However, Sablan said, the measure would put new roadblocks in the way of citizens from the Marianas and other non-state U.S. areas.
For instance, he said, it requires that only birth certificates issued by a U.S. state are acceptable proof of citizenship when registering to vote, whether at home or elsewhere in the nation.
As a former executive director of the Commonwealth Election Commission, Sablan said he understood the importance of protecting election integrity and how best to do it. However, he described the bill as “poorly drafted.”
“I voiced my opposition to this poorly-drafted legislation during floor debate, but Republicans all voted in favor, sending the bill to the Senate,” he said in a statement.
A recording of floor deliberations on H.R. 8281 on July 10 showed Sablan speaking out against the bill.