Cleta Mitchell and the SAVE America Act: A Conservative Push for Election Reform

The SAVE America Act, currently before the Senate, represents a significant effort by Cleta Mitchell, a prominent figure in the conservative movement, to reshape electoral processes in the United States. This legislation, which Mitchell has been instrumental in promoting, aims to address perceived issues of election integrity, particularly focusing on non-citizen voting—a narrative that has gained traction since the 2020 presidential election.

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Cleta Mitchell's influence surged following Donald Trump's 2020 election loss to Joe Biden. As chair of the Public Interest Legal Foundation, she played a key role in efforts to contest the election results, including her involvement in Trump's call to Georgia Governor Brad Raffensperger, where he urged the governor to "find 11,780 votes." This activism led to her departure from the law firm Foley & Lardner, which she attributed to pressure from leftist groups. Since then, Mitchell has been advocating for changes to election laws, including legislation in North Carolina that altered mail-in ballot deadlines and allowed poll workers to monitor voter conversations.

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Mitchell has aligned herself with various conservative organizations, including the Election Integrity Network and the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), to promote her electoral reforms. Her initiatives have led several states, including Florida and Missouri, to withdraw from the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), a bipartisan system for maintaining voter rolls. Instead, these states are considering alternatives like Eagle AI, which lacks the comprehensive data-sharing capabilities of ERIC.

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Critics of the SAVE America Act, including Gréta Bedekovics from the Center for American Progress, argue that the bill could inadvertently disenfranchise Republican voters, particularly married women who may lack the necessary identification due to name changes. Bedekovics noted that the assumptions driving support for the bill are outdated, suggesting that making voting more difficult may not solely disadvantage Democrats as previously thought. Furthermore, some Republican lawmakers, such as Mitch McConnell and Lisa Murkowski, have expressed tepid support or outright opposition to the bill.

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In defense of the SAVE America Act, Mitchell has claimed that opposition to the bill indicates a willingness to commit election fraud. She has stated, “There’s only one reason that you don’t want to have proof of citizenship to register to vote.” However, her assertions have been met with skepticism, as experts highlight the potential negative impacts of the proposed legislation on voter participation across various demographics.

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As the SAVE America Act progresses through Congress, its implications for future elections remain uncertain. The ongoing debate surrounding the bill highlights the broader tensions within the Republican Party regarding election integrity and voter access, raising questions about the potential consequences for both conservative and liberal voters alike.

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