HR 22, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility– or the SAVE Act -was reintroduced by House Republicans, and with it, concerns about voting rights in America have once again come to the forefront of the national conversation. This act would make it harder for millions of Americans to register, or reregister to vote. In an attempt to curb voter fraud, House Republicans have drafted up legislation that would require a valid passport or birth certificate for registration.

There are a few issues with this legislation; first, it would eliminate online and mail-in registration and secondly, it disproportionately affects women in this country. The SAVE Act does not allow for proof of name change, marriage certificates, real IDs, trivial IDs, or driver’s licenses as proof of identity. For women who have changed their names due to marriage, and for transgender individuals who have legally changed their names the SAVE Act creates additional barriers that prevent them from having their voices heard.

But how many people will the SAVE Act really affect? Well, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, a lot: 21.3 million people lack proof of citizenship readily available. In addition to that 21.3 million people, it is estimated that 69 million women who have taken their spouse’s name have not updated their birth certificate to reflect their new legal name.

The more voters, the more indicative our election results are of our national priorities. Hindering millions of Americans from voting is not conducive to free and fair elections, as promised in the US Constitution. Federal law already clearly states that non-U.S. citizens’ voting is illegal as well as requires the last 4 digits of a social security number or a driver’s license number for registration. The SAVE Act is placing unnecessary barriers on registration that many citizens don’t have the time, energy, or money to overcome. Instead, it has massive oversight on name-changing that would disenfranchise millions of American women. Ensuring fair access to voting is essential to the health of our democracy. As the fight for voter rights continues, it’s critical that we consider the intersection of gender, identity, and politics when crafting policies that affect the fundamental right to vote.