Hillary Clinton issued a pointed warning to American women this week after the House of Representatives passed a controversial voting bill that she says could make it more difficult for millions to cast a ballot in future federal elections.
The legislation, called the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, was approved in a 220-208 vote and would require voters to provide proof of citizenship to vote in federal races. It also includes provisions that push states to purge their voter rolls more aggressively, something voting rights advocates say could result in wrongful removals.
Clinton, who made history in 2016 as the first woman nominated for president by a major party, sounded the alarm particularly on how the bill could impact women whose legal names have changed due to marriage. She emphasized that the requirement to present documentation matching birth certificates could lead to disenfranchisement, especially among women who have adopted a spouse’s surname or hyphenated their name.
She wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, “The House just passed the Republican voter suppression measure that threatens voting access for millions of Americans, including 69 million women whose married names don’t match their birth certificates.” Clinton urged Americans to contact their senators and “stand against it.”
Earlier in the day, Clinton had also encouraged women to reach out to their House lawmakers before the vote, sharing a chart that illustrated the number of women in each state whose current names differ from their birth certificates either due to marriage or other legal name changes.
The graphic aimed to highlight just how widespread the impact of such a policy could be, especially for older women who may not have easy access to updated documentation or the time and resources to navigate new voter ID requirements.
Supporters of the bill argue it’s necessary to ensure only U.S. citizens are participating in elections. But critics like Clinton say it’s a solution in search of a problem and one that risks making it harder for eligible citizens to exercise their right to vote, especially among groups who already face bureaucratic hurdles.
The bill now heads to the Senate, where its fate remains uncertain. Democrats are expected to challenge it fiercely, and Clinton is clearly hoping public pressure will help ensure it stalls in the upper chamber.