BY VERONICA G. DOWNING
EDENTON — Opponents of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act are ramping up their campaign, calling the bill “Jim Crow in Disguise” at a protest Monday in Edenton. The bill would require voters to present documentary proof of citizenship.
The banner carried by Aaron Wrighton and Ja’Nyra referred to the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility or SAVE Act, a Republican bill recently passed by the US House of Representatives, to enact a method of registration validation for all voters. The banner protest event came after Edenton’s No Kings Protest, set for Sept. 18, was cancelled due to a scheduling conflict.
The measure, currently awaiting US Senate approval, has prompted protests from some Americans who question its fairness and legality. You can follow the bill’s progress through the Senate by clicking here.
“Just like with Jim Crow, the SAVE Act uses a lot of coded language to try to keep people from voting,” Wrighton said.
According to an NPR report, the bill, which the House of Representatives passed by a vote of 220-208, would require Americans to present documented proof of US citizenship before voting in elections, to which many do not have access.
For example, according to NPR, voters without a passport (with a picture) would be required to present both a government-issued ID card – the recently amended REAL ID containing a star on the top right corner of the card – with a photo and a birth certificate to qualify to vote in elections. That can get expensive for low-income households, which include those with
disabilities, veterans without access to GI funding, or seniors with small or fixed incomes.
Voters worry that the current administration is actively widening the gap between them and access to these documents.
Another way the SAVE Act threatens American voters is by instating rules and laws that make voting harder for certain segments of the population. Wrighton used an example of the Grandfather Clause, which was abolished with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The provision said “If your grandparents were not born in the United States, you could not vote.”
“The Civil Rights Act of 1964 allowed us to vote because it got rid of a lot of rules and laws that were in place that made it harder,” Wrighton said. “For example, they have a clause within the SAVE Act that says, ‘If your name does not match the exact same name as on your birth certificate (because of marriage, adoption, etc.), then you are ineligible.’ And it might sound silly at first, they might say, ‘Oh, there might be exceptions for that’, but there aren’t.”
The legislation does not specify whether a person whose name has been changed can use a marriage license, court order or other documentation to prove their identity.
To combat future oppressive measures in his hometown of Edenton in February 2025,
Wrighton joined Generation Vote, a nonprofit organization dedicated to securing voting rights for all Americans, with a particular focus on college-aged voters between the ages of 18 and 26.
Founded in 2017, GenVote has been advocating for truth throughout the US. Describing
themselves as an “intersectional movement”, their goal is to suppress efforts to marginalize the rights of young Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), minority, or indigenous voters who make up a key electorate in the United States. Wrighton says that the group makes efforts to help young voters communicate with different communities and develop
effective methods of civil organization.
After attending Edenton Town Council meetings earlier this year, Wrighton became increasingly concerned by a lack of both youth and overall BIPOC involvement. For Wrighton, a lack of participation translates to a lack of representation and the absence of provisions for those in their demographic.
A quote from GenVote’s website captures the essence of their mission: “Institutionalized systems of power and decision-making continue to suppress the right to vote for young people across the country, especially young Black, Brown, and Indigenous people. The youngest and most diverse generation yet is being silenced and prevented from politically speaking to decisions that directly affect their lives and our democracy.”
“I know things are a bit slow. But my hope is that I can gather enough people to create a team here in Chowan County that can organize and effectively fight for what they want to see changed here,” Wrighton said when asked how he plans to use his partnership in GenVote in Edenton. “Because I know a lot of people would rather just leave, rather than to stay and change how business is conducted.”
While the SAVE Act bill has yet to clear the Senate floor, its passing in the House has already
sparked widespread outrage. Through GenVote, Wrighton is determined to move Chowan
County toward civil and cogent advocacy.
For more information about Generation Vote, including ways you can get involved and spread awareness, visit their website: http://genvote.org/.