As a domestic violence survivor who remarried, SAVE Act harms women like me
The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act threatens my right to vote.
I am a U.S. citizen. I am a voter. I vote in every election.
I was born in Michigan. My Michigan birth certificate has my father’s last name — this is my maiden name (Kimberly Crocker).
I married my first husband and took his name (Kimberly Ellis). I divorced because of domestic and gun violence, and returned to my maiden name (Kimberly Crocker).
I moved to Georgia more than 17 years ago.
Fifteen years ago, I married my second husband and took his last name (Kimberly Brusk).
My Georgia driver’s license reflects my legal name (Brusk). My Michigan birth certificate does not, because it has my maiden name (Crocker).
Requirements create heavy burden for many Americans
I have a passport, but it is expired. Passports cost money.
Citizens should not have to pay to maintain documents just to prove their right to vote. A passport is something that expires.
Under the SAVE Act, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives in 2025 and is under consideration in the U.S. Senate now, I could be forced to produce a chain of documents just to register or update my voter registration.
That could include my Michigan birth certificate; an out-of-state first marriage certificate; an out-of-state divorce decree that is over 50 pages; a second marriage certificate issued out of Nevada (where we married); and my Georgia driver’s license just to prove that I am the same person.
This is an unreasonable, ridiculous and undue burden on my constitutional right to vote.
The SAVE Act puts a heavier burden on women; divorced women; adoptees; survivors who have changed their names for safety; naturalized citizens who must replace expensive documents; people who have moved and cannot easily obtain records; and those who cannot afford to keep a passport current.
U.S. is reversing course on expanding voting rights
The Constitution protects the right to vote and guarantees equal protection under the 14th Amendment. The 19th Amendment protects women’s voting rights.
Congress passed the National Voter Registration Act to make registration accessible.
The SAVE Act moves in the exact opposite direction by creating paperwork, logistical and financial barriers for lawful voters.
It is already illegal to vote if you are not a citizen. We are creating a complicated system for a problem that does not exist.
This bill solves nothing. It only makes things harder for eligible citizens to vote.
I should not have to assemble decades of paperwork or pay expensive fees just to exercise a basic right. A constitutional right. A guaranteed right.
Kimberly Brusk is an Atlanta-based advocate and mother of three who grew up in West Michigan. A survivor of domestic violence and gun violence, she speaks and writes about coercive control, litigation abuse and the realities survivors face long after leaving. Her work focuses on protecting families and working with legislators and nonprofits to change laws. Learn more about Brusk at instagram.com/kimberly.brusk and on her survivor blog at facebook.com/kimberlybrusk.
