LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is fuming over the SAVE Act, a federal bill that would require Americans to show proof of citizenship to vote in elections. Documents accepted under this legislation include a birth certificate or passport. Benson calls the requirements unreasonable and says it would make things too hard for seniors and college students, and that it would disproportionately disenfranchise women, particularly married women whose legal names differ from those on their birth certificates.
In fact, Benson’s exact quote from a February 27th statement in opposition to the bill is as follows: “The SAVE Act is not a reasonable effort. The SAVE Act would stop millions of Americans from registering to vote by requiring voters to register in person with either a birth certificate or a U.S. passport.”
ID to fly but not to vote.
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However, Benson’s words don’t quite line up with her latest press release – and her lack of opposition to residents in the state needing a Michigan REAL ID to board a plane and enter a federal building. In Michigan, a REAL ID is a state-issued driver’s license or identification card that complies with federal security standards established by the REAL ID Act of 2005. This law was enacted to enhance the reliability and accuracy of state-issued identification documents, thereby improving national security.
Starting May 7, 2025, individuals aged 18 or older will need a REAL ID-compliant document to board domestic flights within the United States or enter certain federal facilities, such as military bases and nuclear power plants. However, when it comes to electing the people who control your taxes, your rights, and the nation’s future? Apparently, asking for the same documentation is too much to ask.
Although the REAL ID upgrade at local Michigan Secretary of State offices accepts the exact same documents as the SAVE Act – a birth certificate or passport – Secretary Benson has voiced no objection to the federal REAL ID mandate. In fact, she’s been promoting it enthusiastically, urging residents to upgrade and making it easier for them to comply.
Benson promotes REAL ID while trashing Voter ID.
Benson, in her latest press release, even highlighted that over 73% of Michigan driver’s licenses and state IDs are already REAL ID-compliant and thanked SOS workers for helping to make the switch easier and faster. She also cheered on the fact that more than 35,000 extra appointments have been able to be made in order to accommodate the demands for REAL ID. Benson even gushes in her press release, “It’s great to see so (sic) Michiganders making sure they get their REAL ID before the May 7 deadline.”
Flying the friendly skies with federal requirements? Fine. Voting with the same requirements? Oppressive.
Benson also emphasized in her press release that Michigan is ahead of the national average in REAL ID compliance and that the Department of State is prepared to assist residents in obtaining compliant IDs. All along the way, she has not expressed any objections whatsoever to the federal mandate being a hardship or a problem for certain segments of the population like she has with the SAVE Act.
For the SAVE act, a birth certificate or passport is burdensome, voter suppression, and a threat to democracy. But to upgrade a driver’s license to fly in a plane, Benson is rolling out the red carpet to assist Michiganders to comply with the federal rules – with no objection or calls to resist or protest.
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The SAVE Act’s goal is simple: make sure only American citizens vote. It uses the same documents Michigan requires for a REAL ID – nothing extreme, just basic proof like a birth certificate or passport. Based on the number of Michiganders who have already complied, it doesn’t appear to be too difficult or discriminatory. But Benson’s official position is that requiring the same documents her own office demands for an upgraded driver’s license would somehow stop millions of people from voting.
