Quick Take
Michael Polhamus argues that Santa Cruz County’s strong tradition of high voter turnout — largely driven by vote-by-mail and same-day registration — is at risk due to proposed federal Republican legislation that would require proof of citizenship and photo ID to register and vote. He contends these measures, framed as election security, would disproportionately disenfranchise groups common in Santa Cruz County, including young voters, students, low-income residents and people without easy access to legal documents. He urges residents to prepare now by registering early and securing documents such as birth certificates, passports and state-issued photo ID to ensure their votes can still be counted in November.
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One of the things I love most about living in Santa Cruz County is that we are a politically active bunch. We have strong opinions and we cast our votes.
Santa Cruz County has consistently turned out to vote in every election at greater rates than most other California counties and state averages, according to available voter data going back to the early 1990s.
Since 2020, Santa Cruz County residents have preferred to vote by mail, with mail-in ballots topping 90% in every recent general election.
This historic local tradition is currently under threat. With Republicans in control of all branches of the federal government, we could see wide-reaching changes to voting in November.
But you might be asking yourself: It’s February, why is this guy talking about the November elections already?
Simple: I want our community to understand what we might need to vote and take the time to get it. I’m talking about proof of citizenship and matching photo ID.
Since the 2008 election of Barack Obama, state legislatures controlled by Republicans have incrementally passed laws to restrict voting. That includes creating voter-ID requirements, limiting mail-in ballot programs and tightening voter registration laws.
They have done this in the name of securing election integrity and increasing public confidence in our voting systems.
The party line is enchanting, but the effect has made voting harder for demographic groups less likely to vote for the Republican Party. Now that Republicans control every branch of the federal government, they have a grand opportunity to implement many of these changes nationwide.
Congress is considering three pieces of legislation to achieve some or all of these goals nationwide: The SAVE (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility) Act, the SAVE America Act (a revised version of the SAVE Act), and the MEGA (Make Elections Great Again) Act.
This legislation has the potential to disenfranchise many voters in Santa Cruz County: new voters, young people, people who have changed names, transgender people, low-income people, disabled people, people who frequently move and possibly more. Basically anyone without access to legal documents proving their citizenship, and matching photo identification, could find registering to vote and having their vote count much more difficult if not outright impossible.
Furthermore, Santa Cruz County – with our history of activism – has a large contingent of same-day registrations that includes UC Santa Cruz voters and others who respond to “get out the vote” campaigns. Conditional voter registrations would become far more complicated due to the time and effort needed to verify documents at the polls.
The local impact of these laws would be difficult to measure, but the way we vote locally would change substantially. And any of these bills can still change and potentially become more restrictive.
The SAVE Act would mandate proof of citizenship (birth certificate, passport, etc.) when registering to vote or changing voter registration. The SAVE America Act and MEGA Act would add a photo ID requirement to vote on top of proof of citizenship when registering to vote and also compel states to conduct regular voter purges based on federal sources of data.
As of mid-February, both versions of the SAVE Act have passed the House of Representatives. These pieces of legislation would make registering to vote more difficult and make vote-by-mail invalid for new registrants unless a voter presented proof of citizenship and, in the case of the SAVE America Act or the MEGA Act, valid photo ID matching citizenship documents in person at a local election office.
Now, most people might say that the Congress would never pass legislation like this as it would disenfranchise American voters (including many Republican voters), be politically unpopular and strategically foolish.
I’m not so sure anymore.
There is immense pressure to do so, as Republicans fear the backlash from voters over the first year of the Trump presidency. Republicans have made attempts to seize state voter rolls and engage in mid-census partisan redistricting. And then there’s the recent FBI seizure of election records in Fulton County, Georgia.
The intentions are clear.
This type of “election reform” legislation has stalled in the Senate thanks to fear of a Democratic filibuster. But Republicans control the Senate and could force a vote on any of these pieces of legislation by changing Senate rules, ending debate, and passing legislation with a simple majority instead of the normally required 60 votes – a tactic informally referred to as the “nuclear option.” Republicans have the votes, and I believe that if they ever will do this, they will do it now.
The good news is there are things we can do to prepare to make sure that our votes count here in Santa Cruz County.
Primarily, you should register to vote now without making any changes between now and Nov. 3; should any of these acts pass, you will already be a registered voter without the need to produce additional proof. This would be the simplest way to avoid any type of issues, assuming state-issued ID wasn’t required to vote.
If this isn’t possible, you should ensure you have the means to prove you were born in the United States and that you are, thus, a citizen of the United States. If you were born in Santa Cruz County, birth certificates are available at the Santa Cruz County Recorder’s Office. If you were born elsewhere, your birth certificate should be available at a similar office in the county you were born in or through a statewide vital records office.
If using the birth certificate route, a state-issued photo ID that matches that information (most importantly, your name) would offer an extra layer of security should photo ID be required to vote. As I’m sure most people know, you can secure those through the state’s most cherished bureaucratic institution: the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
A U.S. passport (proof of citizenship and a photo ID) is best and can be applied for through the Department of State. But be careful. It can take several weeks for documentation to be received, analyzed, accepted and a passport issued.
If you have an existing passport that will expire soon or don’t have a passport, it would be wise to begin the process of renewing or applying for one now.
My greatest fear is that one or more of these acts get passed shortly before November, and many unprepared people won’t have time or resources to get the documents they need to vote.
To avoid these problems, take care of these issues now before our institutions become overwhelmed with requests.
Santa Cruz County’s proud tradition of strong voter turnout is facing an unprecedented threat, but if we prepare, our community can still protect every voice and make a difference this November.
Michael Polhamus is an American government and economics teacher for Santa Cruz City Schools and current member of the City of Santa Cruz Planning Commission.