I submitted my passport application this week. The total was $190 including processing fee at the post office in addition to the eight-dollar passport photo. I am fortunate that the expense was an irritation and not part of the grocery budget. Luckily, I had a certified copy of my birth certificate on hand. I married my husband shortly after turning 18 and that is the only legal document I have bearing my maiden name. A planner by nature, I thought I would feel relieved knowing that if the SAVE Act is passed, my vote will be protected. Since crossing it off of my to-do list I’ve just grown more frustrated and perturbed.

I was born in 1974 to a married but newly single mother. Her dad had to “come to town” in order to sign for her as she couldn’t legally open a checking account. The women’s movement experienced a second wave in the 70’s in the fight for equality, reproductive rights, and professional liberation and achieved landmark victories. I grew up hearing about “shattering the glass ceiling” with the message that I had a place at any table if I put in the work. While issues such as equal pay and sexual harassment were still prominent it felt like we were moving in the right direction; the pay disparity gap has narrowed and the “Me Too” movement for example.

While the glass ceiling was shattered, the glass shards remained but we’ve effectively swept a path in which to proceed. At least until recently. Women’s rights are being systematically dismantled in real time. Women’s rights now vary by state. As of today nearly 30 states have passed laws designed to invalidate pregnant patients’ advanced directives. The lack of accountability and prosecution of men listed in the Epstein files is an insult to women everywhere. The “manosphere” is normalizing bashing women and touts a “your body my choice” and AWALT (all women are like that) mentality.

And now the proposed SAVE Act. Touted as needed legislation to protect against voter fraud, the clear intended purpose is to disproportionally disenfranchise women voters. According to the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law; “the report reviewed elections that had been meticulously studied for voter fraud, and found the incident rates between 0.0003 and 0.0025 percent”. Pew Research Center notes that women tilt Democratic as do union members and lower income voters. The goal of the SAVE act is to throw up as many barriers as possible. The president has said the SAVE Act is needed to “guarantee” Republican success in the midterm elections. Opponents argue that it is a power grab that could disenfranchise up to 21 million voters.

I was a poll worker last year and I had to complete a training class. I worked the polls from open to close and participated in the multiple safety checks and protocols all of which require both a registered Democrat and Republican. I trust that our country has fair and open elections with safeties in place to ensure that ballots are protected and counted properly. I am not opposed to legislation stating you must have a government ID such as a driver’s license when you go to cast your ballot. That is a common-sense approach that adds an additional layer of election security. Being forced to dig up old documents and then pay nearly $200 for a passport reeks of voter suppression and is simply un-American.

So yeah, I’m more angry since I guaranteed my right to vote.

Kris Bailey is a Westfield resident.