General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHow many can locate their birth certificate in order to vote?
How many do not have a passport?
The Republicans are being pressured relentlessly to pass the "Save America" act that would require a birth certificate or a passport as identification to vote.
How many millions would that exclude.
Personally, I do not have a passport and I have no idea where my birth certificate might be?
I usually mail-in my ballot and I have never had a problem with it.
But, the "Save America" act would also outlaw mail-in ballots.
Republicans are pretending that they do not want to overturn the filibuster rule in order to pass this bill for Trump and themselves. They do all right with the system as it is. Why would they want to change it? They won the House, the Senate, and the White House in the last election. Where was the fraud?
These are dangerous games these Republicons are playing.
Tim S
(213 posts)Especially out of state certificates from other eras?
Kaleva
(40,337 posts)Update: When this article was first published, the SAVE America Act included a provision that would have also required voters to show documents such as a passport or birth certificate at the polls every time they vote. The bill has since been amended in the House to replace that requirement with a directive that states regularly submit their voter rolls to the Department of Homeland Security, as well as a restrictive photo ID requirement for voting
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/new-save-act-bills-would-still-block-millions-americans-voting
ProfessorGAC
(76,585 posts)We got copies we needed for a few things when we retired.
Marriage certificate, too.
But, I don't know how common it is for people to be in this position.
I'm guessing it's kind of rare.
redstatebluegirl
(12,826 posts)I found all of my documents, my birth certificate divorce decree, marriage license and paid the money to get a passport. Mine had expired so I needed a new one.Thankfully we could afford it.
I plan to take a folder full of stuff with me in November. I dare them to keep me from voting after 52 years of voting with no issue. Someone may need to post bail if they try to keep me from voting.
ProfessorGAC
(76,585 posts)After having it for 45 years, I just let it go.
I retired to quit traveling, so I figure I'll never need it.
But, we've got the BC & MC, so we're covered.
My wife needs a new driver's license.
We'll take all that stuff & probably get her a real ID.
redstatebluegirl
(12,826 posts)Ms. Toad
(38,553 posts)Aside from 5 (IIRC) border states.
underpants
(196,285 posts)For my passport. The State Department wouldnt accept the copy of the original that Id had for
.well
my whole life.
I think it was $22 per copy and it took two weeks.
Tim S
(213 posts)underpants
(196,285 posts)Born in NYC. None had ever noticed it before. It took him months and lots of time on the phone.
tonkatoy8888
(190 posts)I had to get a new birth certificate when I couldn't find the one I'd had my entire adult life.
Delaware, my birth state, has outsourced their vital statistics office, so I paid the private company more than $100 for the replacement. Also, I had to resubmit the form over 20 times because my signature, which I was writing with my fingernail on my cellphone, did not "match" my signature on my license/state identification card.
It was a hassle, but you have to ask, how many who may vote sporadically and who are now motivated to vote will, when faced with a fee in the neighborhood of $100 and the attendant headaches, will just say, "fuck it...maybe next time"?
underpants
(196,285 posts)mostly its been about people (women especially) who move to another state. Letting your voting lapse would have the same effect.
Ms. Toad
(38,553 posts)Every time I vote, I have to remember how I wrote 36 years ago when I signed the voter registration card - because my current signature bears no resemblance to that signature. I've been challenged on it a few times - and each time they tell me that I need to re-register with my current signature.
The problem with that is that my current signature is not consistent. I couldn't write it the same way twice if I tried. So for signature matches - I have to use my decades old signature. I'd be in trouble if my driver's license signature was used for the match.
But - under the SAVE act, you'd have to prove your citizenship if you moved across the street, because that would require you to re-register. Anytime you re-register you have to prove your citizenship.
Attilatheblond
(8,794 posts)quaint
(5,005 posts)I have two dead husbands.
Attilatheblond
(8,794 posts)Didn't find out it wasn't 'a law' until a few years after we married and I would not have taken his name if I had known better. Funny thing is, the surname he has used since about age 9 is NOT his birth name, but step-father's name, and he was never adopted by that man. But I guess nobody will challenge HIS voting rights because white and male.
My dear second husband suggested I not change my surname to his, so late in my life. He laughed and said, it would confuse the government and that was a bad idea so near the time of getting Social Security. Since he worked for a government agency, he had some experience with governmental SNAFUs.
But my daughter, who never liked her surname (first husband who turned into a real ass) actually did go to court to formally change her last name to my second husband's name, as she was of an age and experience to REALLY appreciate the man he was.
The dog goes by my surname and the cat goes by my late second husband's name. Records are weird things.
Ritabert
(2,364 posts)I have my birth and marriage certificates in a safe deposit box. I had to show both to get a Real ID driver's license.
get the red out
(14,031 posts)as well as my passport, but I only have the former because I had to order a new official copy in order to get the latter, so that I might be able to visit someone close to me that left the country for Europe last summer. Of course with all that is going on, I think that will be a while.
EarthAbides
(443 posts)I recently got my certified copy of my birth certificate and a copy of my marriage license in order to get my driver's license renewed and to get an enhanced ID for flying. I always tell young women, "DO NOT CHANGE YOUR NAME WHEN YOU GET MARRIED!"
pnwmom
(110,252 posts)then you do have an ID that proves citizenship, so you shouldn't need your passport.
bamagal62
(4,489 posts)Do not change your name!
I have a passport. I also have an official copy of my birth certificate which is an awful
Copy and difficult to read. I guess its copied from microfiche. I did go through a bit of a mess once moving to New York with a GA drivers license.
Back in the 90s GA would not let you have 4 names on the drivers license. So, they dropped my maiden name without asking me which one to drop. It was a nightmare because it didnt match my other documents. I finally got it sorted out. But, it was not fun. This is going to be a cluster of epic proportions if this thing passes.
doc03
(39,059 posts)usonian
(25,008 posts)I have Mediterranean skin color.
The federal government cannot manage nor interfere in state voting. Just ask the Supreme Court.

quaint
(5,005 posts)usonian
(25,008 posts)PeaceWave
(3,280 posts)MineralMan
(151,155 posts)Marriage certificate, DD Form 214, Real ID, MN Fishing license, and even my military vaccination records from the late 60s. They are all where I can get them, and safely in a fire resistant metal box. My wife's stuff is in there, too. I have other records, as well, but not as well protected. I also have scans of everything stored on a USB thumb drive. Other docs like a copy of my house deed, all vehicle ownership papers, insurance policies, and other docs are also stored for fast access.
We shouldn't have to have that stuff. But, I have it anyhow. I've used every one of those things at one point or another in my lifetime.
usonian
(25,008 posts)https://www.readyforwildfire.org/prepare-for-wildfire/emergency-supply-kit
Assembling your wildfire-ready kit
Get your emergency supply kit ready well before any wildfire or disaster. Make sure its accessible for quick evacuation and prepare for the possibility of being away from home for a while.
Your Go Bag should be easy to carry and access. Use backpacks to store items like essentials and personal documents. For food and water, consider a wheeled tub or chest for easier transport. Keep your bag light enough for comfortable lifting into your vehicle.
Emergency kit
Your Go Bag checklist
Ensure your wildfire Go Bag includes:
A 3-day supply of non-perishable food & 3 gallons of water per person
A map with at least 2 evacuation routes
Necessary prescriptions or medications
A change of clothes & extra eyeglasses/contact lenses
Extra car keys, credit cards, cash, or travelers checks
A first aid kit & sanitation supplies
A flashlight & battery-powered radio with extra batteries
Copies of important documents (birth certificates, passports, etc.)
Pet food & water
Always have sturdy shoes and a flashlight near your bed, ready for sudden night evacuations.
Additional items if time allows
If time allows, consider adding:
Valuables that are easy to carry
Family photos and irreplaceable items
Personal computer data on hard drives and disks
Chargers for cell phones and laptops
For more information on emergency supplies, visit https://www.ready.gov
Note: DHS website.
FSogol
(47,603 posts)started a long process to get copies. I promised I wouldn't leave that mess to my kids to sort out. I applied for a replacement birth certificate. Then used the new cert and an expired passport to get a replacement SS card. Then I renewed my passport. Everything was done online and via the mail. I mailed in the forms and documents, they mailed everything back. It took a weeks/months, but all ids now in order. I recommend everyone do the same.
hunter
(40,651 posts)One for the Army, one for Social Security and taxes, and one for his California drivers license.
Same day and month, different years.
He also went by a few different first names -- one for family, one for the Army, and one professionally, using inconsistent birth dates.
His original birth certificate, if he ever had one, was lost.
He joined the Army with an affidavit of birth.
It was very Wild West. You judged a man by his character. ( And the color of his skin, and his accent, and maybe his religion too. His religion was "Not Mormon." )
My dad was executor of my grandfather's estate and had a heck of a time getting that all sorted out.
When I was young I rarely carried any identification with me until I met my wife who considered that an unacceptable habit.
I recently had to get a new birth certificate for myself from some private company when I discovered the official stamped certificate I got to marry my wife was no longer considered acceptable for identification purposes.
This modern world kind of sucks.
All this "papers please" shit will be used to disenfranchise people. Or worse.
2naSalit
(102,333 posts)PeaceWave
(3,280 posts)If so, contact the Clerk Recorder office in that county. They'll walk you through the process of getting an authorized certified copy of your birth certificate.
pat_k
(13,308 posts)My step-father never formally adopted my sister and I, but we used his name for everything, including the SS cards my mom signed us up for.
I have to get a legal name change from my birth name to the name I've used for more than 60 years.
PeaceWave
(3,280 posts)Republicans act like they aren't aware of the fact that computers weren't always around and procedures weren't always quite as formalized as they now are.
pat_k
(13,308 posts)When she got married, her marriage certificate had the birth certificate name as the maiden name, even though she had no other identification in that name.
She has since divorced, but somehow that marriage certificate has worked to connect birth cert name to a hyphenated last name (stepfather's-husband's). I've never needed a passport, although I almost needed to travel to Rwanda when my sister was injured there. The embassy guy helping out in the emergency advised that I get a passport in my birth cert name and just ignore all other ID. I suppose I could do that for registering to vote, but it just feels like something would certainly go wrong having a passport in a name that has effectively not existed since 1964, and all other ID in a different name that has existed since 1964.
Deuxcents
(26,667 posts)Finally, my birth name, and all information is in the judgement and this cost me, as you can imagine but Im glad I did it about 9 years ago. I have the original with my Will and Trust and a copy in my glove box in case Im ever in need of it on the road. Im a post war baby and back then, all this legal stuff was not even a thought.
pat_k
(13,308 posts)... which is why, until recently, just needing an affidavit has long been sufficient for almost all purposes.
I actually went through the hassle of a name change in NJ, but screwed up the last step.
There, you had to publish a public notice when you applied, another one when the court certified the application + proof of notice. When I appeared in court, I got what I believed was the order I was seeking. The DMV treated it as such and issued a license (I needed the order to deal with post-9/11 rules changes). I learned that it was not actually a final order when I sent it off to get birth cert reissued.
It turned out, I was supposed to go through yet ANOTHER round of public notice publication, and THEN would get a final order. It was too late to do it and I would have had to start all over (with another round of filing fees, publication fees, etc) I had gotten my license and was pretty broke. I said screw it. I'll deal with it when the need arises again.
Here in Washington state, the name change process is simpler, but the courts have been overwhelmed with people trying to straighten out name mismatches to get Real ID. They only do name changes a couple days a week. You show up with the petition and cash fee and wait around to be heard, which can take all day. I have a little solo dog walking business these days. Of course the days the court does name changes are my busiest days. It is tough to cancel everything so I keep putting it off.
But, I do have to deal with it And soon.
Deuxcents
(26,667 posts)ribrepin
(1,899 posts)My stepfather was dead and couldn't adopt me as a adult. The license bureau suggested I get a passport. I did with no problem. They use Social Security as verification. I applied for my card for my Social Security card under my stepfather's name. I don't remember if I had to show my birth certificate when I applied - it was 1967.
pat_k
(13,308 posts)I've never needed a passport, although I almost needed one to travel to Rwanda when my sister was injured there. The embassy guy helping out in the emergency advised that I get a passport in my birth cert name and just ignore all other ID. He didn't mention anything about SS verification (which would be in my step-father's name). I didn't end up needing to go, so didn't try to get the passport
I think the simplest for me at this point will be getting a court order to change birth name to the one I've always used. Here in WA the process is relatively simple, but the courts have been overwhelmed with people trying to straighten out name mismatches to get Real ID. They only do name changes a couple days a week. You show up with the petition and cash fee and wait around to be heard, which can take all day. You leave with an order, assuming it is granted. I have a little solo dog walking business these days. Of course the days the court does name changes are my busiest days. It is tough to cancel everything so I keep putting it off.
But, I do have to deal with it And soon.
TBF
(36,516 posts)No one ever called me by my given name. As a young adult I decided to just legally change my name to the nickname I had always used, along with a slight change of my middle name so they sounded good together. Thankfully I kept a copy of that order. Then my last named changed twice due to marriage.
I have both social security card and updated passport, thankfully - and all documentation going back to the original birth certificate. It all makes sense. Except that I will have to explain it to some moron in the clerk's office here in Texas, which I'm not looking forward to.
Srkdqltr
(9,702 posts)Hugin
(37,828 posts)Fifty years ago. Even though it has an embossed seal on it. It looks so different from the modern documents it's still questioned constantly.
PeaceWave
(3,280 posts)with her picture from when she was 19 years old. Needless to say she was stopped upon re-entering the U.S. after a trip to Mexico. An expert had to be brought in to verify her documentation. He told her he hadn't seen one like it in decades. Thankfully, not long after, Mom finally caved - after 54 years in the United States - and decided to become an American citizen.
Skittles
(171,463 posts)that's the simplistic bullshit repukes make it out to be, but it's way, way more than "showing ID:"
the greedy old pig party is doing everything they can to suppress voting because they know they'd be crushed in a fair election
PeaceWave
(3,280 posts)"How does anyone function in the U.S. without an ID?" That is not by any means the same as asking "What's the problem with showing an ID?"
So, again, slow your angry roll and stop intimating that anyone should be lumped in with "the greedy old pig party." The world is a messed up enough place without folks going around angry at everyone because of something they think they saw someone say on the internet a while back.
Jack Valentino
(4,936 posts)PeaceWave
(3,280 posts)Jack Valentino
(4,936 posts)Skittles
(171,463 posts)yes INDEED
Skittles
(171,463 posts)true patriots are VERY ANGRY INDEED
Jack Valentino
(4,936 posts)amirite??
(I've been trying to avoid that lately myself, as a man)
Skittles
(171,463 posts)I'd like to keep it that way.
Skittles
(171,463 posts)you're either NOT PAYING ATTENTION or you're part of a CULT
PeaceWave
(3,280 posts)Skittles
(171,463 posts)I am NOT FOOLED, not at ALL.
Jack Valentino
(4,936 posts)Skittles
(171,463 posts)yes indeed
City Lights
(25,772 posts)I have a passport and a Real ID. But I am fortunate.
ananda
(35,040 posts)I also have a passport card.
Faux pas
(16,332 posts)Being female, my name now and at birth are different.
SocialDemocrat61
(7,539 posts)Have both birth certificate and passport.
greatauntoftriplets
(178,925 posts)Also my birth name.
cachukis
(3,901 posts)teaching certificate. Needed it for license upgrade.
A chore to get it. Cannot imagine dealing with my wife getting all the papers together to vote with name changes.
obamanut2012
(29,334 posts)And I needed to get copies of things I had lost. I've had a passport for 35 years, but my wife didn't get one until I made her last year right after the election.
maxsolomon
(38,624 posts)Also, the SAVE Act is not getting past the Filibuster, and the Repukes aren't going to exempt this bill. They want the Filibuster for the next time they're in the minority. Which, God willing, is very soon.
Scrivener7
(59,381 posts)Rebl2
(17,665 posts)my birth certificate and marriage license in my lock box at my bank. Some years ago our idiotic governor at the time made everyone prove they lived in this country to renew our drivers license. So lucky me, I still live in the state I was born in and either paid nothing or minimal fee for a copy with a raised seal. I also have raised seal on marriage certificate. My husband on the hand had to jump through hoops to get his from the state where he was born. I think this was in the early 2000s. Older people in their 70s I believe, didnt have to do anything. He lasted one term, the idiot. His father worked as attorney general for George W. The one who covered statutes with drapes Ashcroft.
Doodley
(11,875 posts)- more likely to vote democrat, poorer people without a passport or driver's licence - more likely to vote Democrat. This is how Republicans can win even if they are less popular.
PeaceWave
(3,280 posts)Skittles
(171,463 posts)AND THAT IS ALL THEY CARE ABOUT RIGHT NOW
Keepthesoulalive
(2,270 posts)Jack Valentino
(4,936 posts)while unmarried women are much more likely to vote Democratic---
what they are attempting to pass might hurt their own party vote
MORE than the Democratic vote---
(with the caveat that some married Democratic women voters
might be economically less able to jump through all the hoops
which they are trying to create, for a "problem" which really
does not even EXIST, statistically....
maybe THAT is what they are counting on, but the data seems to weigh against them, IMHO)
In any case, it appears they won't be able to pass the bill,
and I think EVERYONE should be entitled to their vote,
even if they disagree with my opinions.....
milestogo
(23,036 posts)I only know this because I started a job a few years ago I brought in the one mom saved, complete with my inky footprints. I was told that this one doesn't count. Its kind of like a souvenir you get for going through labor.
The only birth certificate that COUNTS AS IDENTIFICATION is the official, notarized copy you get from the County Office in the county where you were born. You pay for the certificate, you pay for shipping, and unless you pay for overnight shipping- you wait.
So I have mine. Funny thing is I used the mommy birth certificate until 5 years ago.
If you are internet savvy and can afford to pay for it, its not that big of a deal. But it does require some effort, funds, and time.
markodochartaigh
(5,486 posts)Trump was elected the first time I got a certified copy of my birth certificate so I could get a new passport after my old one had been expired for years.
In an odd circumstance for which I'm unable to find any explanation I still know where they are, even after three hurricanes.
My sister still has our Grandmother's baptismal record. It's not common now, but Irish names have a masculine and a feminine form. I can't imagine these days having to try to explain that although Ó Dochartaigh and Ní Dhochartaigh may be spelled differently they are the same surname.
rampartd
(4,560 posts)but trump will NEVER accept a birth certificate from obama.
LetMyPeopleVote
(179,186 posts)I had to get a consular record of birth to get my passport. That was fun
Bayard
(29,510 posts)I think my birth certificate is buried in the garage somewhere, but its useless. I legally changed my first name, (thanks for that clunker, Mom,) years ago. Married twice, changed last name the first time. Now, I use my maiden name, hyphenated with my husband's. Wonder how they'll handle that, since plenty of woman have done the same?
Never had a passport.
valleyrogue
(2,691 posts)This will never pass.
bucolic_frolic
(54,952 posts)Prior to about 1940, people's ages as reported, which is to say their birth year, varied greatly. They can't all be trying to appear younger. It's likely they never saw a birth certificate in their life. Or it was written in the family bible and only seen a few times. Democracy got along fine on that accuracy. This GOP crap is over the top.
vankuria
(966 posts)And it was in decent shape considering Im 70 yrs old. I needed it to get my new license however I was told by the DMV it was invalid because it didnt have the raised seal on it. Luckily I was only 40 miles from the county I was born in so I didnt have a problem getting a new one. I needed my marriage license too, to show my name change through marriage however I couldnt find it and thought I could use my divorce papers to show my name change but was told I had to show my marriage license. A lot of busy work for something Ive been doing for decades; renewing my license and voting. Im fortunate I drive and wasnt too far from where I was born but this is and will be a nightmare for anyone with a name change from their original birth certificate. I would recommend to any woman contemplating marriage not to change their last name.
Maeve
(43,454 posts)Ran around back in 2003 to get birth certificates for Hubby and me to get passports, which were renewed in 2023, so we're good. But we are middle-class, like to travel and can afford the expenses of doing that. Many can't. It's another form of poll tax
Jacson6
(1,960 posts)I have plenty of elderly neighbors that don't even know where they can get their certified BC. This is a trap so that the elderly and the poor can no longer vote.
moondust
(21,279 posts)I had to contact the county recorder where I was born and pay a fee to have the recorder send me an official copy.
If a BC will be required to vote, will a REAL ID be accepted instead since an official BC was required to obtain it? I haven't heard anything about that.
Raine
(31,171 posts)Kaleva
(40,337 posts)Tree Lady
(13,256 posts)It's in that, but I also have passport.
Its so obvious what they are doing and if congress votes for that, they should all go to prison.
Totally Tunsie
(11,818 posts)and carry my current passport card as well as my short form birth certificate in my wallet. As my back-up, I also carry a booklet of the U.S. Constitution. I feel prepared.
Melon
(1,484 posts)Because I couldnt find it and I want them to vote. I believe cost was $25 plus postage. Its not immediate though. It will be a few weeks. You can use a service to rush but it doubled the total price.
Jack Valentino
(4,936 posts)I bought a new copy of my birth certificate many years ago,
can't remember why I thought I needed it, now...
but I'm a male, and thus never changed my name through marriage---
However, even so, having to report to the city to show my documentation
would be a personal hardship to me, since my car is still dead in the driveway---
and if they amended the original bill to outlaw no-reason mail-in balloting
(which as I understand it, they still have not done yet in the Senate),
well, that would invoke further hardship since I have gotten used to mail-in voting
in Michigan--- a law which we passed by a popular vote initiative!---
(AND, I think if they managed to pass it, it should JUSTLY be
struck down by the Supreme Court---
since control over elections is delegated to state governments
by the Constitution, and not to the Federal government---
but we can't count on the Republican nominees to this court
to follow the US Constitution now, can we ???)
Avalon Sparks
(2,750 posts)If it passes, Churches especially Evangelical, are going to have all kinds of messaging and initiatives to help their married women who changed their last name. Efforts and funding campaigns to assist them with getting copies of their birth certificates, marriage licenses and even passports.
What are the Dems going to do toward the same efforts?
karynnj
(60,933 posts)It is easy to renew a passport as long as it is not more than 5 years out of date.
Roc2020
(1,778 posts)made sure my passport and other top notch identification documents current and locked away in a safe. The world is too unstable to not have the strongest forms of identification ready at will.
Traildogbob
(12,995 posts)I contacted the NC County Register of Deeds office I was borne in. Took about a week to get two raised stamp copies. $24. But everywhere passports here were sold have all shut down. WCU can do it in a special office there and its $200. With a three month Wait for office visit, mandated.
This is not a hoop many MAGAs can or are willing to jump through. Or can afford under trumps low prices of stuff, and rising daily.
FUCK GQP. Had a draft number like most in my generation, no right to vote. I still joined the Navy but no right to vote, and was expected to die for the Country and Nixon. Fuck Trump, steal that right to protect a child raper. My veteran pride for this place is Vanishing. Now they want troops to die again, and take their votes away. To protect the child raper and all his band of thieves.
Historic NY
(39,979 posts)unless you needed it for Social Security or a Passport many have been stashed away
yellowdogintexas
(23,686 posts)I also have extra copies of Mr YD and our daughter
I need to renew my passport, but I do have one
ironman99
(156 posts)The brilliant scientists of the GOPOT really did not think this out.
All anyone who is born in the US gets at birth is a birth certificate. Nowhere on that certificate does it say that you are a citizen. It is a given from the 14th Amendment. We don't get a document from the federal government saying we are a citizen.
The GOPOT putting this codswallop together would like to get rid of the 14th Amendment as well. But if they do that here is what happens:
No passports as a birth certificate does not imply citizenship
No "Real ID" as a birth certificate does not imply citizenship
The only people with proof of citizenship are those immigrants who passed the citizenship test and received a certificate signed by a judge or other officiant at their swearing in ceremony.
Requiring passports, "Real ID" or birth certificates will not allow you to vote as the birth certificate does not imply citizenship without the 14th Amendment which the GOPOT wants to get rid of.