Op-Ed: Rep. Mike Bost: Election integrity matters more than ever
That’s why I voted for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. This legislation would ensure that anyone registering to vote must verify their U.S. citizenship in person, whether at the DMV, a voter registration agency, or by mail. It would mandate that states clean up their voter rolls by removing the names of any non-citizens. And it would empower citizens to sue election officials who do not enforce these safeguards.
In an age when we are facing a record number of encounters with illegal immigrants trying to cross into our country, this bill couldn’t be more important.
For those of us who grew up here in Illinois, election security hits close to home. We’re all too familiar with stories of voter fraud, rigged results, and precinct turnout numbers that just don’t add up. The SAVE Act would go a long way in shoring up the system and giving legal American citizens the peace of mind in knowing their vote will not be canceled out by someone voting illegally.
It looked like Congress was on the right track earlier this year when the SAVE Act passed the House with bipartisan support. However, it stalled in the Democrat-controlled Senate. In September, House conservatives fought to include the SAVE Act in a government funding bill that passed the House just before Congress adjourned for the final sprint to Election Day. Sadly, nearly every House Democrat opposed it and the push for the SAVE Act fizzled. For that reason, I voted against the spending compromise. To me, election integrity is just that important.
We’re now just days away from the most important election of our lifetimes. The 2024 election is a fork in the road that will determine the course of America for years to come. And when we had the chance to make the election more secure, the People’s House failed the people. It’s frustrating, but it’s not the end of the road. These are going to be issues that will be focused on intently moving forward. Illegal immigration is the most important issue for many Americans. Cyberattacks targeting U.S. elections are more sophisticated than ever. Just last year, multiple federal agencies warned of potential vulnerabilities in state voting systems.
Regardless of whether you’re a Republican, a Democrat, or an independent-minded voter, I have no doubt most of us want the same thing. We want to know that our vote counts and that our system is safe. We must keep fighting for secure, transparent, and trustworthy elections because, as Franklin warned, our republic depends on our ability to keep it.
Rep. Mike Bost represents Illinois’s 12th District in Congress. He chairs the House’s Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.
