President Trump did not wait for Congress to take up a vote on his Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act when he issued a March 31 executive order to “strengthen election integrity by ordering citizenship verification for federal election and modernizing and securing mail-in and absentee ballot procedures through the United States Postal Service.”

Trump’s EO issued five days after the president voted by mail himself in a Florida special election for state representative for most of Palm Beach County (his endorsed candidate, Republican Jon Maples, lost to Democrat Emily Gregory). The EO ignores states’ constitutional authority to regulate and control their own voting procedures, prompting 23 Democratic-led states on April 3 to file suit to block it.

“The president wants to control your vote,” Washington Attorney General Nick Brown said in a statement (per The Hill). “He wants to tell the Postal Service what ballots they can accept and when. But this is patently unconstitutional. And come November, despite the president’s lawless threats, we’ll once again use that power to protect our democracy.”

Trump’s EO and the lawsuit will be part of the discussion in Debate & Donuts II, the new Talking With, Not At series sponsored by The Hustings and The Allen Theatre & Salamander Bookstore Café in Annville Township, Pennsylvania, Wednesday, April 22. 

Our topic: “Should Congress pass the SAVE America Act”?

Proponents say it would assure election integrity by requiring such identification as a driver’s license to vote.

Opponents say the SAVE America Act would severely restrict voting rights and that it is not a stretch to be concerned ICE and border agents will be deployed to guard and possibly restrict access to voting booths in major American cities during the midterms this November 3.

Confirm your attendance via info@theallentheatre.com or editors@thehustings.news.