Here is the full text of the email I received from the Native Voters Alliance. I think I can expect to get more, but this one is one of the most comprehensive instruction emails I’ve seen – ever.
We’re here to tell you about a concrete action you can take, in just a couple of minutes, to help protect voting rights.
Right now, the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) is taking public comments on a proposal that would force Americans to show Documentary Proof of Citizenship (DPOC), or specific, costly, hard-to-access documents like passports, before registering to vote. An estimated 21 million Americans could be shut out from the ballot box, particularly communities of color, rural folks, students, and women.
The EAC needs to hear from people like you, now, while they gather input to decide whether or not to adopt this anti-voter proposal. They need to hear from our movement about how damaging this policy would be before they make their decision. It only takes a couple of minutes to make your voice heard!
Public comments can be as short as 1-2 sentences. You can submit a public comment to the Federal Register here by October 20. Not sure what to say? Here are some ideas:
- This “show-your-papers” requirement was a bad idea when Congress tried to do it with the SAVE Act, and it’s a bad idea here too. Do not go through with this!
- This could block millions of Americans from voting! Don’t do it!
- I’m an American citizen and I’ve been voting for years. Like half of all Americans, I don’t have a passport – I’ve never needed one. If you agree to this, you’ll be making it harder for me to vote and blocking millions of other Americans from voting. Please don’t go through with this.
- ALT: I’m an American citizen and I’ve been voting for years. My passport is expired. If you agree to this, you’ll be making it harder for me to vote and blocking millions of other Americans from voting. Please do not go through with this.
- ALT: I’m an American citizen and I’ve been voting for years. My passport doesn’t have my married name on it. If you agree to this, you’ll be making it harder for me to vote and blocking millions of other Americans from voting. Please do not go through with this.
- ALT: I’m an American citizen and I’ve been voting for years. I have a passport, but I know lots of family and friends who don’t! If you agree to this, you’ll be making it harder for them to vote and blocking millions of other Americans from voting. Please don’t go through with this.
- If you agree to this, it looks like I couldn’t even register to vote using my birth certificate?!? I’m an American citizen who’s voted for years. This doesn’t solve anything – it’s only going to block Americans from voting.
- I changed my last name when I got married, and now my passport doesn’t match my current name. Are you going to handle the $165 cost and months of waiting and jumping through bureaucratic hoops it’ll take to update that, just so I can continue exercising my right as a citizen to vote? Or is that going to fall to me? Please vote no!
- There’s a reason Congress didn’t pass the SAVE Act. This is bad news! Don’t do this behind all of our backs when we already told Congress no.
In the trenches with you.
Native Voters Alliance Nevada
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Me again – The video I was able to watch live yesterday is now available as a recording. You can watch it here:
https://joycevance.substack.com/p/the-supreme-court-case-that-could
It’s under 40 minutes and seems much shorter.
