Letter to Editor: The SAVE America Act Is Much More Than a Voter Photo ID Bill

Abraham Lincoln reportedly once asked how many legs does a dog have if you call a dog’s tail a leg?  The answer, he said, is four, because calling a tail a leg does not make it a leg.  Rep. Andy Harris and Donald Trump keep trying to call the bill called the “SAVE America Act” a voter photo ID bill, but that’s disingenuous.    Trump said on July 16, 2026, that the Save America Act “requires that all voters must show photo voter ID.  How simple is that?”  Harris proclaimed on June 19, 2026, “The American people overwhelmingly support the SAVE America Act.  They believe in voter ID and making certain that only U.S. citizens vote.”  Harris cites broad public support for the SAVE America Act, but the polling questions ask about elements like photo voter ID, and not whether there is support for every element of the 26-page bill.

Harris and Trump play up the voter ID requirement, but downplay proving citizenship, which for many will be quite burdensome, especially in rural areas.  How would the bill, if enacted, change how Marylanders vote?

Even if you have voted all your life in the same place, presenting your usual Maryland driver’s license or proof of residency like a utility bill is insufficient to prove U.S. citizenship.  You would have to provide documentary proof of citizenship in person at the time of registration, which could include various official documents such as a certified birth certificate, passport, military ID, or photo ID from a government entity, either showing birth in the U.S. or accompanied by a certified birth certificate.

Anyone submitting a voter-registration application by mail would still have to present documentary proof of citizenship in person.  Maryland must also institute an ongoing program to identify possible non-citizens using DHS, Social Security, motor-vehicle or other government records.  If flagged, a person would face the burden of proving their eligibility to vote.

A passport is one of the documents that satisfies the bill’s proof of citizenship requirement, but only an estimated 54% of Americans have passports.  Getting a new passport costs $165, but as much as $250 if you need it fast. A passport card costs less, but citizens must still apply for one.  Many citizens without passports would probably rely on a photo ID plus a certified birth certificate, which can cost as much as $60 or more after processing and delivery charges.  People whose present names do not match their birth certificates could also need a marriage certificate, divorce decree or other documentation linking the two names.

Trump wants to go further than the House-passed SAVE Act and ban voting by mail with few exceptions.  That would be tough on rural America.

Finally, what does all this inconvenience and cost accomplish?  The Heritage Foundation’s election fraud database shows that in Maryland in the last 43 years there were only 10 cases of illegal voting.  In fact, there is no documented evidence anywhere that non-citizen voting occurred on a scale sufficient to change the outcome of a federal election.  This is partly because it is already a felony for a non-citizen to vote in a federal election.

Andy Harris endorses the Trump agenda, including the SAVE America Act, regardless of burden on his constituents.  That includes support for tariffs, for Trump’s war in Iran, even greater funding for ICE, and deep cuts in programs we need.  Andy voted with Trump 94.7% of the time.  If you like Trump’s policies, Andy Harris is your man, but personally, I don’t trust any man who expects me to count a dog’s tail as a leg. I will vote for Dan Schwartz in November.

Jim Bruce is president of the Talbot County Democratic Forum