Vermont Democratic Rep. Becca Balint is drawing backlash on social media after she seemingly suggested that the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or the SAVE America Act, could prevent women from voting.
The SAVE America Act would require official documentation and proof of U.S. citizenship to vote. This would likely mean a birth certificate or passport, and a government-issued photo ID would be required to vote in person. Those requesting or submitting an absentee ballot would have to provide an eligible photo ID both times.
“The whole point of democracy is to make it possible for people to vote, because it’s the people who get to decide the policies,” Balint said. “And Republicans talk non-stop about protecting women. And you’d think if they really believed this, that this would be a non-starter for them because it disenfranchises so many women.
“But as we have seen with the Epstein files over this past year,” Balint continued, “what they say and what they do are two different things.”
The SAVE Act would put 1 in 4 women at risk of losing the right to vote. We cannot accept that – and no one should. pic.twitter.com/u2ZSQgiWtv
— Rep. Becca Balint (@RepBeccaB) February 10, 2026
Balint’s X post with a clip of her comments had more than 100,000 views in its first 16 hours online. Much of the feedback was negative, with many users questioning the accuracy of her claim that the SAVE America Act would impact 1 in 4 women.
Balint isn’t the first to suggest that the SAVE America Act could affect women’s voting rights, though she failed to explain why that’s a current concern. According to the Brennan Center, the SAVE America Act would impact women whose married names aren’t on their birth certificates or passports.
However, as some social media users pointed out, that would only be a temporary roadblock. The SAVE America Act wouldn’t permanently prohibit women — or anyone who has changed their name from what is on their birth certificate — from voting. It would just require them to update their personal information.
“Why does she think that women are not capable of getting ID?” Libs of TikTok’s Chaya Raichik wrote on X. “This is so denigrating to women.”
Rep. Balint thinks women are incapable of getting a passport. https://t.co/Pxq0ItGGKz
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) February 11, 2026
President Donald Trump has been a fierce advocate of the SAVE Act and has insisted for years that he wants to end mail-in balloting. His critics have pushed back, arguing that these kinds of changes could impact Black and Latino voters. The House is expected to vote on Wednesday on the SAVE America Act. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) called it “common-sense legislation” and “simple” earlier this week.
Balint, who was born in Germany, is a naturalized U.S. citizen and is able to vote under current voting laws. She is also the first woman and openly LGBTQ person to represent Vermont in Congress.
“Becca believes that even in the face of immense challenges, we cannot back away from fighting for each other and building connections across differences,” her website reads. “That is how we will save our democracy.”
