WA Secretary of State says SAVE America Act to cost Washingtonians $40M
Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs held a meeting Thursday morning with other secretaries of state to discuss the impacts of the "SAVE America Act" on elections.
FILE - Voters leave the Park Tavern polling location after casting their ballots. (Jessica McGowan/Getty Images)
The virtual press briefing was held Thursday morning.
What they're saying:
"The SAVE Act doesn’t save anything, it just suppresses Americans’ ability to access the ballot box," said Secretary of State Hobbs. "The SAVE Act would require expensive operational, technological and administrative changes to Washington state’s elections system at state and county levels. In addition to the millions of extra dollars it would require to operate an election, it would add burden of showing papers, ID, for every time you vote."
According to the Secretary of State's Office, a preliminary analysis estimates the cost for the 2026 midterms would increase by $35.7–$39.3 million, as well as roughly $10 million in ongoing operational costs.
Their analysis finds that, during a presidential year, that operational cost would jump to $12.5–$14.65 million.
Joining Hobbs was Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California), Secretary Steve Simon (DFL-Minnesota), Secretary Stephanie Thomas (D-Connecticut) and Secretary Jocelyn Benson (D-Michigan).
What is the SAVE America Act?
The Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act would mandate that individuals verify their U.S. citizenship when registering to vote, typically by providing documents such as a valid passport or birth certificate. It would also require voters to present an approved form of photo ID before casting a ballot, a rule that is already in place in some states.
President Donald Trump and Republicans say the legislation is needed to prevent voter fraud. Opponents of the legislation believe the act would disenfranchise millions of Americans by making it harder to vote.
The other side:
Hobbs argues the SAVE Act puts arbitrary barriers and additional steps on people just trying to cast their vote.
"Does your 80-year-old mom have a copy machine at home? Mine doesn’t," said Hobbs. "Neither does my son, he’s a young kid […] Think about the burden of the individual who actually has to vote in these elections."
Read more: SAVE America Act: Republicans launching voting bill debate in Senate
The Source: Information in this story comes from the Office of the Washington Secretary of State.
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