I called Sen. Collins’ office to find out what I need to maintain my right to vote. I’ve been married twice, changed my name, don’t have my birth certificate. But I collect Social Security. I’m on Medicare. I am an American citizen, and have been voting legally for almost 50 years.  

“You’ll need a “Real ID,” Collins’ staffer told me. “Make an appointment at the DMV, you’ll need a certified birth certificate, proof of Social Security number, proof of residency and $55.”

 “Proof? Certified by who? The hospital? The state? Town? That town hall burned down 40 years ago. Could I use my expired passport?” Passport renewal goes for $130, plus $80 more for an “expedited” service.

But the staffer didn’t entirely know what I need to “prove” my citizenship.   

 If I was homeless, my house burned down, or I was hospitalized — many circumstances could make “proving” citizenship more difficult than Sen. Collins imagines.

And, if I was a non-citizen, why would I risk jail time to cast one vote? The SAVE America Act does nothing to stop interference with ballots, or certification of the election. It doesn’t warn future presidents that pressuring any secretary of state to “find me 11,780 votes” is a crime.

Sen. Collins knows Donald Trump disrespects our voting rights. The SAVE America Act doesn’t protect citizen votes, it suppresses them. If Sen. Collins votes for the SAVE Act, it’s clear she disrespects our voting rights, too.

Jenny Ruth Yasi
Freeport