I had previously quoted a professor of mine that if someone offers you an oversimplified solution to a complex problem, either they are a fool, or they are taking you as a fool. The SAVE act is a very good example of the scenario in that quote. I will explain, but let me start by the example from my own birth country. There we had birth certificates that looked very much like a passport, with a protective cover. They were issued for everyone when requested at birth, and were needed pretty much for everything, from registering at school, to opening a bank account, and, of course, voting. There was no controversy around it. No complaints from anybody, and no new laws were required.

Now, let’s consider the case in the US, and for those who are born a citizen and not naturalized, like myself. The SAVE act requires photo id and proof of citizenship for registering to vote and possibly for actual voting as well. There are mainly two documents that can technically prove citizenship: an original birth certificate, or a valid passport. Not a drivers license, not even a real id. Now consider the following:

1. Around half of US citizens do not have a passport (you don’t need it if you don’t want to travel abroad), and it is true disproportionately more for black voters.
2. Around 70% of married women have their last names changed at marriage, making the last names on their drivers license different from the one on their birth certificate.

On top of the above points, since, unlike my birth country where birth certificates are needed pretty much for everything and were the most important document to have available at all times, US birth certificates were not needed for pretty much anything so far. Many people don’t even know where their birth certificates are; only know that it’s probably somewhere among the documents at their parents’ home.

You see, by just requiring proof of citizenship for voting, which is certainly a sensible requirement, without actually providing a reliable means for that proof, the GOP is oversimplifying a complex problem. And in this case, both, they are fools, and they are taking the American people as fools.

A more reasonable solution would start by a law requiring, for example, drivers license to also have an indicator code or verbiage to establish citizenship, or a separate voter ID issued free of charge for everyone eligible (based on the information that is readily available to the states). But of course, we all know that it was not the main intention of the SAVE act. And of course, it is obvious who will benefit from a policy that makes voting disproportionately more difficult for the black voters and women.