Save Act would require all Americans prove citizenship when registering to vote

Re:Save Act would require all Americans prove citizenship wh... by nathanaldensr on Wednesday February 26, 2025 @08:43PM (#43190380)

Why is that a difficult question to answer? Nearly all adults have Star ID driver licenses that are basically as good as passports for that very purpose. Required documentation is consistent and easily acquired. In general, birth certificate record-keeping is extremely reliable in the US. That's not the case everywhere, though; the Philippines, for example, is notorious for easily being able to acquire fake birth certificates.

In other words, Trump and DOGE have absolutely nothing to do with proving citizenship. You're just angry and emotional.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Save Act would require all Americans prove citizenship wh... by clipsy on Wednesday February 26, 2025 @09:57PM (#43190847)

> Why is that a difficult question to answer? Nearly all adults have Star ID driver licenses that are basically as good as passports for that very purpose.

I have such a driver's license; it did not require me to "prove citizenship."

> Required documentation is consistent and easily acquired.

It's relatively easy for me to prove I was born in the US (birth certificate), but one of my parents was born at home and the other was born at a hospital that no longer exists -- if I can't prove citizenship based on my birth certificate, please tell me how exactly I can prove it?

> You're just angry and emotional.

One of us certainly is.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Save Act would require all Americans prove citizenship wh... by sympil on Wednesday February 26, 2025 @09:09PM (#43190538)

My birth certificate prominently has this written on the top: Can not be used to determine citizenship. I’m a natural born U.S. citizen.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Save Act would require all Americans prove citizenship wh... by Kon-Peki on Wednesday February 26, 2025 @10:47PM (#43191128)

Foreign diplomatic personnel stationed in the US sometimes have babies while in the US. These children get the same birth certificates as any other child born in the US, but they are not citizens. Ergo, a birth certificate is not proof of citizenship.

I’d be willing to bet that >99.999% of people with US birth certificates are citizens, but it most certainly is not 100%.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Save Act would require all Americans prove citizenship wh... by sympil on Wednesday February 26, 2025 @11:48PM (#43191462)

The person I responded to thinks a birth certificate is sufficient to prove citizenship. My birth certificate can not be used to establish citizenship even though it was issued by the U.S. government and I’m a natural born U.S. citizen.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Save Act would require all Americans prove citizenship wh... by marssaxman on Thursday February 27, 2025 @02:47PM (#43197762)

It works the other way, too; I know a guy whose parents were US diplomatic personnel stationed in Tehran at the time of his birth. His US passport says he's from Iran, which is technically true, though he's not Iranian and he's never held Iranian citizenship.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Save Act would require all Americans prove citizenship wh... by Kon-Peki on Thursday February 27, 2025 @03:58PM (#43198439)

In such cases, there is usually a “consular report of a birth abroad” that the embassy sends to Washington and the parents get a copy of. Military servicemembers also frequently get this. It’s not required to be done by any means and it is not a birth certificate though it can usually be used in place of one.

But! I think it may be the only document issued about a birth that is proof of US citizenship. And, paradoxically, is not available to people born inside the US.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Save Act would require all Americans prove citizenship wh... by sympil on Thursday February 27, 2025 @08:58PM (#43200804)

I got my certificate of citizenship a few days after birth. I believe anyone can get this but almost no one has heard of this.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Save Act would require all Americans prove citizenship wh... by ivewonyoung on Wednesday February 26, 2025 @09:15PM (#43190583)

You can get a valid star ID driver license with a work visa, at least in one state if not more. It has nothing to do with citizenship.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Save Act would require all Americans prove citizenship wh... by donohoe on Wednesday February 26, 2025 @08:46PM (#43190394)

You didn’t read the article as it demonstrated why the points you raise are wrong.

Try again.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Save Act would require all Americans prove citizenship wh... by happytoexplain on Wednesday February 26, 2025 @08:46PM (#43190400)

>You're just angry and emotional.

Just skip this part.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Save Act would require all Americans prove citizenship wh... by JohnFen on Thursday February 27, 2025 @01:14PM (#43196875)

> Nearly all adults have Star ID driver licenses that are basically as good as passports for that very purpose.

Do they? Most people I know well enough to know this about them don't have one.

The most recent statistic I could find is from last September, where the DHS was predicting that about 60% of people will have a Real ID by this March.

https://www.govexec.com/management/2024/09/tsa-proposes-soft...

[ Parent | on HN ]