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Congress is preparing to pass a bill that would make it harder for millions of Tennesseans to register and vote. The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act would require a person to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote.

Debby Gould, president of the League of Women Voters of Tennessee, said her organization strongly opposes the bill because it creates barriers that would disenfranchise voters, especially married women, by requiring original documentation to register.

“Their proof of marriage, because they’re going to have to show, for example, if there was a woman who changed her surname when she married, they’re going to have to show legal proof that the name has been changed because it doesn’t match the birth certificate anymore,” Gould explained.

The league said more than 21 million Americans are unable to easily access the documents needed under the measure, according to the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement. Gould added that if the bill passes, online voter registration will lose its convenience, as voters must present original documents in person before voting, limiting options such as vote-by-mail.

Gould emphasized that millions of eligible Tennessee voters will be unable to provide the documents needed to prove their citizenship if they are affected by a natural disaster.

“After Hurricane Helene, people were scrambling to get their documentation again because so many things had been lost,” Gould observed. “It’s going to be a real challenge. And you know, the League of Women Voters is very clear that we want everyone who is eligible to vote to be able to vote.”

Gould noted that many people would be affected due to limited access to required documents. The issue is clear in Tennessee’s Real ID rollout. Despite the May deadline, only 2.9 million of 5.8 million licensed drivers have obtained one.