Senate Democrats are fighting tooth and nail against the SAVE Act, arguing that requiring Americans to prove their identity with a photo ID when they go to the polls to vote — even when the ID itself is given away for free — prevents eligible voters from casting ballots.
They contend proving citizenship would make voting harder for millions who lack ready access to birth certificates or passports, supposedly disenfranchising black and Hispanic Americans.
Yet democracies all over the globe, both in the wealthy West and in the developing world, enforce similar rules.
Every country in Africa, for example, requires government-issued identification to vote, and 51 out of 54 African nations demand that would-be voters actively submit proof of citizenship to register.
Mexico and all 12 South American countries mandate government-issued photo IDs to vote, and verify the citizenship of each registered voter.
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