League board member Faith Russell represented our League at the local International Women’s Day Rally held on Sunday, March 8, 2026. Faith spoke on the SAVE Act. Here’s her speech:
My husband and I celebrate our 50th year anniversary this year. In 1976 I never dreamed that because I took his last name, I might need to prove that Faith Russell, me, is the same person who was registered as a U.S. citizen under the name Faith Saftner in Pittsburgh PA.
I also never dreamed that after five decades of voting, I might need to defend my right to vote in a future election.
The SAVE Act requires proof of citizenship in order to vote. This is a new barrier to voting for married women and other sizeable groups of eligible voters like people of color and the military. The SAVE Act has passed the House of Representatives. It’s now before the Senate and if it passes there, it becomes law.
This would be the first time in our history that Congress passed a law restricting access to voting.
So what’s the problem the SAVE Act is trying to solve? Some bad actors are saying that huge numbers of noncitizens are voting and corrupting our elections.
This is blatantly false.
It’s already illegal for noncitizens to vote. And extensive, legitimate research shows that they don’t try to.
What this bill will accomplish is to fuel the divisions among us. It will also create new barriers for eligible voters.
Research from the League of Women Voters shows that women made up well more than half of voters in the 2024 election. In some states seven of every ten voters was a woman.
As women, let’s be proud of our civic engagement, let’s be proud of the power we wield through our vote, let’s fight to hold on to it.
Our U.S. senators need to hear from us. Some Illinois residents believe that immigrants are voting and skewing our elections. Those can’t be the only voices our senators hear. Our senators need to be able to say they’ve heard from thousands of residents who recognize the SAVE Act for what it is. Pure voter suppression.
To make the importance of those contacts more emphatic, hours ago today the president announced he wouldn’t sign any bill until the SAVE Act was passed. That puts additional pressure on our senators.
Contact Senator Dick Durbin and Senator Tammy Duckworth. Tell them them to vote “no" to the SAVE Act.
As the LWV says based on past statistics, “The next election is up to women.” Let’s not let them take that away from us.