MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers sent a letter to every member of Wisconsin’s Congressional delegation urging them to reject President Donald J. Trump’s call to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would undermine Wisconsin’s safe, secure elections, disenfranchise voters by creating unnecessary hurdles for eligible Wisconsinites to cast their ballot, and bury state and local election officials under massive, unfunded administrative burdens. The governor’s letter comes as President Trump has, in recent weeks, held a critical bipartisan housing bill hostage that would help lower housing prices as national costs continue to rise, in order to pressure Congress to pass the disastrous and dangerous SAVE Act. 

Despite repeated failed attempts and bipartisan opposition, President Trump has continued to push for the SAVE Act, which, if passed and enacted, would have calamitous impacts on Wisconsin’s elections, including by:  

  • Asking states to implement onerous new documentation requirements and make substantial changes to long-established secure voter registration processes on an accelerated timeline with little to no additional federal resources to support implementation; 
  • Disenfranchising thousands of eligible Wisconsinites who would be forced to navigate new obstacles demanded by the SAVE Act to be able to cast their ballot on Election Day; and
    • When an eligible voter attempts to register to vote or update their voter registration, the SAVE Act would require documents such as a passport or a certified birth certificate, causing undue burdens for eligible voters, such as military families or students who move frequently or married individuals who have changed their last names.  
  • Dictating that every state must immediately turn over its voter rolls to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), putting Wisconsinites’ private, personal voter information at risk.  

“We have safe, fair, and secure elections here in Wisconsin, and as governor, I’m committed to ensuring that every eligible Wisconsinite can cast their ballot, participate in our democracy, and make sure their voice is heard and their vote is counted. Working to ensure every eligible voter has the right to cast their ballot shouldn’t be a partisan issue—it is a foundational part of our country as Americans, and it is the cornerstone of our democracy. The SAVE Act threatens our democracy by enabling the president and his administration to unconstitutionally insert partisan politics into our democratic institutions and abuse his power to pre-determine the outcomes of our elections. We will not stand for it. Ensuring eligible Americans can cast their ballots and maintaining the integrity of our elections are not mutually exclusive goals; both are essential to America and our democracy… It is for this reason that I urge you to reject the SAVE Act, whether as standalone legislation, incorporated into the next federal reconciliation process, or otherwise.”

This latest attempt by the Trump Administration to undermine election integrity, increase federal intervention in state elections, and illegally disenfranchise voters comes as President Trump and the Trump Administration have continuously spread disinformation about Trump’s election loss in 2020, including about Wisconsin’s elections, despite numerous lawsuits, audits, and investigations that have confirmed the accuracy and outcome of the election.

Over the course of his over seven years in office, Gov. Evers has repeatedly worked to protect the voting rights of Wisconsinites and uphold democratic institutions. Earlier this year, Gov. Evers, in a Dane County Circuit Court filing, slammed court arguments made by a former election official and local officials that suggested absentee voting, which is used widely in Wisconsin and across the country, is a ‘privilege’ and not a constitutional right. Also this year, Gov. Evers joined a multi-state lawsuit in response to President Trump’s executive order directing DHS to force states to use a nationwide list of voters provided by the Trump Administration, further suppressing the rights of voters, undermining democracy, and sowing distrust in Wisconsin’s fair, safe, and secure elections.

Most recently, Gov. Evers, alongside several other state governors, joined in calling for the immediate withdrawal of the Trump Administration’s efforts to grant the United States Postal Service the authority to withhold mail-in ballots unless states hand over private, personal voter data to the Trump Administration.

A full transcript of the governor’s letter to every member of Wisconsin’s Congressional Delegation is available below.

Dear Duly-Elected Members of Wisconsin’s Congressional Delegation:

As multiple reviews, audits, and courts have consistently proven time and time again, here in Wisconsin, we have safe, fair, and secure elections, and as governor, I am committed to ensuring they stay that way while also protecting every eligible Wisconsinite’s constitutional right to vote. Wisconsin’s election system is built upon a secure framework that protects election integrity while ensuring eligible citizens can exercise their right to vote. Full stop. That is why I am writing to you today to urge you to oppose the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which will undermine our safe, secure elections, disenfranchise voters by creating unnecessary hurdles for eligible Wisconsinites to cast their ballots, and bury our state and local election officials under massive, unfunded administrative burdens.

Our state’s professional municipal clerks, county clerks, election officials, and dedicated volunteers work to administer safe, accurate, and efficient elections across our state. These officials have systems in place to verify voter eligibility and maintain accurate voter rolls while complying with both state and federal law. The new requirements as outlined by the SAVE Act would ask states to implement onerous new documentation requirements and make substantial changes to these long-established secure voter registration processes. These changes would need to be implemented on an accelerated timeline with little to no additional federal resources to support implementation. As a result, the SAVE Act would divert limited staff, time, and resources from a system that we already know is safe and secure while doing nothing to bolster our election process. Federal leaders should be a partner in strengthening and supporting our local efforts to maintain our safe, fair elections—not act as an obstacle to this important work. These new mandates would increase costs and administrative burdens while doing nothing to support security.

Further, I am very concerned about the thousands of eligible Wisconsinites who will be forced to navigate the new obstacles demanded by the SAVE Act to be able to cast their ballot on Election Day. When an eligible voter attempts to register to vote or update their voter registration, the SAVE Act would require documents such as a passport or a certified birth certificate, causing undue burdens for eligible voters, such as military families or students who move frequently or married individuals who have changed their last names. For example, a woman who has changed her last name after getting married would now need to bring her passport or certified birth certificate in order to register to vote. That is unbelievable and will make it harder to vote for millions of women across our country. The right to vote is the fundamental cornerstone of our democracy, and as such, we should be doing everything we can to make it easier for eligible Wisconsinites to vote, not harder. There is no two ways about it: the SAVE Act will disenfranchise voters and, as such, is fundamentally opposed to the values we share as Americans and as Wisconsinites.

Finally, the legislation dictates that every state must immediately turn over its voter rolls to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). First of all, this would put Wisconsinites’ private, personal voter information at risk, and furthermore, here in America, states run their own elections, not the federal government. That is a duty delegated to states by our nation’s Constitution. The SAVE Act would be a federal intrusion into states’ administration of elections that ostensibly delegates to DHS the power to choose who can vote. Additionally, if a voter is purged from the voter rolls by DHS, there is no obligation from the federal government to notify individuals, leaving American citizens in the dark until they show up at their local polling place on Election Day. While, thankfully, we have same-day voter registration here in Wisconsin, for the reasons outlined above, certain individuals could still be prevented from registering to vote if they don’t have their passport or certified birth certificate at their fingertips.

We have safe, fair, and secure elections here in Wisconsin, and as governor, I’m committed to ensuring that every eligible Wisconsinite can cast their ballot, participate in our democracy, and make sure their voice is heard and their vote is counted. Working to ensure every eligible voter has the right to cast their ballot shouldn’t be a partisan issue—it is a foundational part of our country as Americans, and it is the cornerstone of our democracy. The SAVE Act threatens our democracy by enabling the president and his administration to unconstitutionally insert partisan politics into our democratic institutions and abuse his power to pre-determine the outcomes of our elections. We will not stand for it. Ensuring eligible Americans can cast their ballots and maintaining the integrity of our elections are not mutually exclusive goals; both are essential to America and our democracy.

It is for this reason that I urge you to reject the SAVE Act, whether as standalone legislation, incorporated into the next federal reconciliation process, or otherwise.

Cordially yours,

Tony Evers
Governor