On Thursday, April 11, 2025, House Resolution 22 (HR22 – the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act) passed the United States House of Representatives, by a vote of 220 – 208.  The vote was split down party lines, but four Democrats sided with Republicans to support the restrictive policy. Representative Ed Case of Hawai’i, Representative Henry Cuellar of Texas, Representative Gluesenkamp-Perez of Washington and Representative Jared Golden have disregarded the disproportionate negative impacts to women, minorities and rural constituents in favor of a baseless MAGA talking point.

The measure would impose unacceptably restrictive barriers to voter registration and even threaten criminal penalties for officials who oversee voter registration. Although the actual incidences of non-citizens voting in American elections are extremely rare, supporters of HR22 continue to rely on a false narrative to inflict harm on the rights of thousands of eligible voters.

This measure could have severe impacts on thousands of New Mexicans by requiring proof of citizenship for voting – not even a state issued, REAL ID would suffice – only a passport or birth certificate would be required for voter registration. Communities impacted could include:

• 80% of women change their names when they get married & their passports/birth certificates don’t match
• Americans who cannot afford passports (which cost $100+)
• Americans living in rural areas of the state would be required to journey to the nearest government office to present their proof of citizenship

Mandating proof of citizenship (which many Americans do not possess or do not have access to) will disproportionately harm the most vulnerable populations.  New Mexico is not safe from these attacks and may be at an even greater risk of being disenfranchised.

• Only 37% of New Mexicans hold a passport versus a 48% national average.
• New Mexico has seen a 20% increase in the houseless population from 2023-2024, and nearly half of these individuals are unsheltered.
• Individuals who have lost their documents in fires, floods, and even those impacted by the 15,000 eviction filings that were made by New Mexico landlords in 2023 could be excluded from voting through HR 22.

Under the SAVE Act, systems like online voter registration will be ended. This method of registration is relied upon in 42 states, including New Mexico. Registering to vote by mail will be halted. Third-party voter registration, such as that done by us at Common Cause in every election cycle, could become illegal and cease to exist. As the fifth largest state in America with a quarter of the population living in rural areas, New Mexicans would face a unique and extreme burden if this access was cut. The SAVE Act even goes as far as applying criminal penalties to election officials for errors when registering a voter.

Common Cause will continue to rally in support of voters’ access to the ballot box.  The pressure must be applied to our Senators to stop this harmful legislation.