WASHINGTON — Congresswoman Yvette Herrell (R-N.M.) today joined 30 members of the conservative Republican Study Committee as an original cosponsor of the Save Democracy Act.

"The Elections Clause of the U.S. Constitution empowers Congress to make or alter state election regulations at any time," said Congresswoman Herrell. "The reforms included in the Save Democracy Act – from citizenship and voter verification requirements to ballot integrity measures – are essential to restoring Americans' faith in the fairness of our elections."

The legislation would enhance election integrity by addressing three key areas: (1) Voter Registration; (2) Casting of Ballots; and (3) Tabulation of Ballots. States would be required to implement the reforms for all elections for federal offices.

Voter Registration:

The bill would prohibit automatic voter registration and bar non-citizens from registering to vote by requiring citizenship verification, including full Social Security Numbers. To help states maintain accurate voter roles, federal courts would be required to notify state election officials when an individual is excused from jury duty because they are not a citizen.

Casting of Ballots:

The bill would prohibit states from sending out unrequested absentee ballots for federal elections and require all absentee ballots be received by the end of election day. It would further require all voters provide proof of I.D. for absentee as well as in-person voting. To protect the integrity of individual ballots, the bill would prohibit the use of public ballot collection boxes.

Tabulation of Ballots:

Under the bill, election officials would be required to count and record mail-in or absentee ballots immediately upon receipt, with no results disclosed until after the closure of polling places on the date of an election. To help ensure no extra ballots are found, the bill would require that ballot counting, once begun, continue until completed—no delays or pauses.

As an additional check on the process, the bill would ensure at least two representatives of each Presidential campaign be permitted to observe polls and vote counting operations as well as require an audit of ballot tabulation systems within the 30-day period following the election.