CNMI delegate says SAVE Act puts up roadblocks for Americans born in Guam, Northern Marianas and other territories
By Jayvee Vallejera
A voting reform bill, which CNMI Del. Gregorio Kilili Sablan had criticized for making it harder for U.S. citizens in the Marianas and other U.S. territories to register to vote, is now awaiting action in the U.S. Senate.
On July 10, the Republican-dominated House of Representatives passed H.R. 8281, commonly known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act.
If signed into law, the SAVE Act would present a double whammy for Guam, the CNMI and other territories where U.S. citizens cannot vote for the U.S. president. Under H.R. 8281, U.S. citizens born in the territories might not be able to register to vote if they relocate to the mainland U.S.
The final House vote largely fell along party lines, with 216 Republican lawmakers unanimously voting for its passage, while 198 Democrats voted “no.”
The bill is supposed to prevent non-U.S. citizens from voting in federal elections. However, Sablan said, the measure would put new roadblocks in the way of citizens from the Marianas and other non-state U.S. areas.
For instance, he said, it requires that only birth certificates issued by a U.S. state are acceptable proof of citizenship when registering to vote, whether at home or elsewhere in the nation.
As a former executive director of the Commonwealth Election Commission, Sablan said he understood the importance of protecting election integrity and how best to do it. However, he described the bill as “poorly drafted.”
“I voiced my opposition to this poorly-drafted legislation during floor debate, but Republicans all voted in favor, sending the bill to the Senate,” he said in a statement.
A recording of floor deliberations on H.R. 8281 on July 10 showed Sablan speaking out against the bill.
He argued that H.R. 8281 would deny the right to vote not just to citizens in the Northern Marianas and other U.S. territories but also the naturalized citizens throughout the United States since the bill restricts federal voting to U.S.-born citizens.
H.R. 8182 requires documentary proof of citizenship issued by a state or a tribal government.
“But my constituents do not live in a state. My constituents live in a U.S. territory. So if my constituents try to use a valid photo [I.D.] issued by the commonwealth showing a place of birth as the Northern Marianas, they would be denied registration,” Sablan said.
The same is true for U.S. citizens born in Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, he added.
Sablan said he himself would be denied the right to vote for the delegate seat—a federally created position.
He said if he were to produce the Department of State-issued passport given to members of Congress, it says his place of birth is the Northern Mariana Islands and thus he will be denied the right to vote.
Sablan noted that H.R. 8281 does not recognize U.S. territories as part of the United States nor does it acknowledge that people born in these territories are U.S. citizens.
The video recording showed that Sablan was interrupted after using up his allotted time to speak on the floor, but he was given an additional 30 seconds to finish his remarks.
Introduced by Rep. Roy, Chip (R-TX-21) in May, H.R. 8281 was first referred to the House Committee on House Administration. After its passage in the Republican-dominated House, the bill is now in the Democratic-led Senate.
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