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Advocates for mental health and substance use recovery are calling on Congress to reject the SAVE America Act and instead take action to protect and expand access to voting, particularly for people with disabilities.

“Voting is a fundamental right, and access to voting is a disability rights issue,” said Paolo del Vecchio, a former federal official and one of the leaders of a new campaign for recovery and rights advocates. 

“People with disabilities deserve equal opportunity to participate in our democracy, yet too many already face significant barriers when trying to register and cast their ballots,” added Vanessa Ramos of .

The advocates are strongly opposed to the SAVE America Act that will create new and unnecessary obstacles by requiring specific proof of citizenship and additional identification to register and vote. 

“Voting is a fundamental right in a democracy, not a privilege reserved for a select few,” said Eric Buehlmann, Deputy Director for Public Policy, . “The SAVE America Act is an unnecessary and dangerous step backward, echoing tactics used during the Jim Crow era to disenfranchise our most vulnerable communities.”

Research from the conservative Heritage Foundation confirms that voter fraud is exceedingly rare, making this legislation a solution in search of a problem. Rather than protecting our elections, this bill threatens to silence eligible voters and limit who can participate in our democracy.

“While these requirements may appear minor, they would have a disproportionate impact on people with disabilities, many of whom do not have easy access to documents such as passports, birth certificates, or current government-issued IDs,” said Arc Telos Saint Amour, executive director of . 

Obtaining these documents can require time, money, transportation, and support navigating complex systems, resources that are not always readily available. For many, these added steps would become insurmountable barriers, effectively disenfranchising eligible voters.

Research has shown that many people with disabilities rely on alternatives such as mail-in voting or assistance from trusted individuals to participate in elections. Policies that restrict these options or require in-person processes would further limit access and undermine the right to vote.

“At a time when we should be working to expand civic participation, this legislation moves us in the wrong direction,” said Harvey Rosenthal, CEO of the Alliance for Rights and Recovery. “Congress must ensure that voting laws protect and strengthen access, not restrict it.”

The advocates are urging advocates, community members, and organizations nationwide to contact their representatives and oppose the SAVE America Act.

Signed:

Alaska Youth and Family Network

Alliance for Rights and Recovery

Disability Rights California

Kiva Centers

Friends of Recovery- ����������

Ernesto Isaac Lara, lived experience researcher

Let’s Talk SAFETY, Inc./The PILLARS

Phyllis Vine, author

Mental Health Policy Roundtable

National Disability Rights Network

Rising Recovery

Youth MOVE National

Contact:     Paolo del Vecchio, pdv1820@gmail.com

         Vanessa Ramos, vanessa.ramos@disabilityrightsca.org

                 Harvey Rosenthal, harveyr@rightsandrecovery.org