Rolling Stone recently published an article attacking common-sense voting measures that would help make our elections more secure. They called these efforts an “assault on America’s elections.”
But let’s take a closer look at what’s really going on.
What Rolling Stone Gets Wrong
The Rolling Stone article claims that the SAVE Act and Trump’s executive order on elections are “threatening many Americans’ right to vote.” But is asking citizens to prove they are citizens before voting really a threat?
The SAVE Act requires documentary proof of citizenship like a birth certificate or passport to register to vote. This is basic common sense. Only U.S. citizens should vote in our elections.
The article calls this a “disenfranchisement” of voters. But how can you disenfranchise someone who isn’t legally allowed to vote in the first place?
The Truth About Voter ID
House Speaker Mike Johnson put it plainly when he said the SAVE Act “ensures you gotta have identification, you have to prove your identity, because only U.S. citizens should vote and decide U.S. elections.”
If you need ID to buy cold medicine, board a plane, or open a bank account, why shouldn’t you need it to participate in our most sacred civic duty?
The Rolling Stone article makes it sound like asking for ID is some kind of evil plot. But polls show most Americans—of all races and political backgrounds—support voter ID laws.
Defending Cleta Mitchell
The article takes aim at Cleta Mitchell, founder of the Election Integrity Network and an attorney who has worked to make elections more secure.
But what’s her real crime? She believes that elections should be fair, transparent, and free from fraud.
Mitchell has been unfairly characterized as some kind of extremist for hosting meetings with secretaries of state to discuss election integrity. The truth is, she’s simply advocating for secure voter rolls and more transparent election procedures.
Mitchell’s critics say she’s undermining democracy. But isn’t democracy undermined when we can’t trust our election results? Mitchell has spent her career fighting for election integrity, not against it.
Paper Ballots and Election Security
The Rolling Stone article mocks the call for paper ballots, but many cybersecurity experts agree that paper creates a verifiable record that can’t be hacked. Other countries like Canada, Germany, and France use paper ballots. Are they “attacking democracy” too?
The article claims that mail-in voting is perfectly safe. But traditional absentee voting (with a request and verification) is very different from the mass mailing of ballots that happened in 2020. We need to make sure ballots go to the right people and are properly verified when returned.
What’s Really Behind This Attack?
Why is Rolling Stone so upset about basic election security measures? Perhaps because they know these measures make it harder to cheat.
Note that the article doesn’t provide evidence that these measures would actually stop legal voters from voting. They just don’t like the idea of having to prove you’re eligible before casting a ballot.
The Bottom Line
Every legal voter should be able to vote easily. And every legal vote should be counted accurately. But those who aren’t eligible shouldn’t be voting at all.
The SAVE Act and other election integrity measures aren’t about stopping people from voting. They’re about making sure our elections are secure, transparent, and trusted by all Americans.
That’s not an attack on democracy. It’s a defense of it.
