Biden Claims “Effective Voter Eligibilty Safeguards in Place”

(Daily360.com) President Joe Biden released a statement denouncing the SAVE Act while saying there are “effective” measures in place to prevent non-citizens from illegally registering and voting in elections. The president claims that the act will do nothing to prevent fraud in elections, but he insists it will make it more difficult for citizens to cast ballots in elections.

A voter registration application requires an individual to check a box confirming that he or she is a citizen of the United States. The application also requires a signature swearing that the information provided is correct. Biden’s statement correctly states that it is a federal crime for noncitizens to vote in federal elections, which is punishable with jail and fines. The illegality of something does not prevent people from committing crimes, however.

Another safeguard that Biden and Democrats refer to is the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). States are mandated to cross check new voter registration applications with a driver’s license number. If the person doesn’t have a license, then it must be matched with the last four digits of a social security number. Noncitizens can obtain a driver’s license and a social security card.

North Carolina reportedly has hundreds of thousands of individuals registered to vote without an identifiable license number or social security number. The voter application previously did not state that at least one of these identification numbers is required to become a registered voter. After a complaint was filed with the Board of Elections asking for these numbers to be added to each registered voter profile, the request was dismissed. The board said they don’t have the authorization under HAVA to contact registered voters who are missing important ID numbers.

The SAVE Act passed the House chambers with a vote of 221-198, but President Biden has already said he would veto the measure. Congress would need a two-thirds majority vote to override a presidential veto, so the bill is unlikely to become law.