Kathleen Shields

Copy & Content Writer and Editor. Proud #CLE native with a side of @PureMichigan.

[Kathleen Shields @kashields]

@Russell59271506 @AngelMD1103 Servers have to share their tips with the bar staff. The people who clear tables too. It's a
percentage of the full bill. So, she LOST money on this table.

[Kathleen Shields @kashields]

@JBKSchlossberg Get back to work? Congress needs to get to work.

[Kathleen Shields @kashields]

@WhiteHouse How about working more for Americans?

[Kathleen Shields @kashields]

@PolitiBunny Cuyahoga County, OH: Birth certificates are $25 plus a credit card fee. And not a couple bucks - closer to $10. Might be higher now.

[Kathleen Shields @kashields]

@ArtemisBSG @PolitiBunny The birth certificate and overnight fee total of $14 is hogwash.

[Kathleen Shields @kashields]

@MbarkCherguia Coconut

[Kathleen Shields @kashields]

@suzost @IanJaeger29 @trrayoakmn And women. We don't need another task, running around to prove we are who we say we are.

[Tia 🚢 @TiaGetsSales]

Here is how the SAVE Act often called the SAVE America Act can affect women, in real and practical ways.

⸻

Name changes after marriage or divorce

Many women change their last name after marriage or divorce.

If a woman’s voter record says one name, but her proof papers show another, she may have trouble registering.

Examples:
•Birth certificate has maiden name.
•Passport or ID has married name.
•Divorce papers are missing or hard to find.

Fixing this can take time, money, and extra steps.

⸻

Access to documents

Women are more likely than men to:
•Change names more than once.
•Have documents stored with family members.
•Lose older papers after moves, divorce, or family changes.

Replacing a birth certificate or naturalization paper can take weeks and cost money.

That delay can block registration before an election.

⸻

Older women

Older women, especially those born at home or in rural areas, may not have a formal birth certificate.

Some records were never filed or were lost decades ago.

Getting proof now can be hard or impossible.

⸻

Low-income women

Women are more likely to live below the poverty line, especially single mothers and older women.

Costs that matter:
•Fees for new documents.
•Time off work.
•Travel to government offices.
•Childcare while handling paperwork.

These costs can stop someone from registering even if they are eligible.

⸻

Naturalized women citizens

Women who became U.S. citizens through marriage or later in life must show naturalization papers.

If those papers are lost or delayed:
•They cannot register by mail or online.
•They may have to appear in person.
•A missed deadline means no vote.

⸻

Survivors of abuse

Some women leave homes quickly to stay safe.

They may leave documents behind on purpose.

Requiring strict proof can force them to:
•Reconnect with unsafe people.
•Delay voting while tracking papers.
•Risk privacy or safety.

⸻

Pregnancy and caregiving roles

Women do most unpaid care work.

That means less time and energy to:
•Visit offices.
•Stand in lines.
•Resolve paperwork issues before deadlines.

Even small hurdles can stop participation.

⸻

What the bill does not do

The bill does not:
•Automatically remove women from voter rolls.
•Target women by name.
•Ban married or divorced women from voting.

The effect comes from how the rules work in real life, not from stated intent.

⸻

Bottom line

Women are more likely to face problems because they:
•Change names more often.
•Have less free time and money.
•Carry more family and care duties.
•Are overrepresented among seniors and low-income groups.

The rule is the same for everyone.

The impact is not.

[Kathleen Shields @kashields]

@engel1_mayra @ElephantSignal Why?

[Kathleen Shields @kashields]

@ScottPresler @BasedMikeLee Maybe they believe American women have better things to do than run around procuring documents? If you changed your last name when you married (and most of us do) you have to jump through hoops to vote.

[Kathleen Shields @kashields]

@RepLuna Are you in favor of limiting women's likelihood of voting?

[Kathleen Shields @kashields]

@BettyHosta1788 @elonmusk Do you know why this bill includes a difficult task for women to accomplish in order to vote? If we changed our name at marriage we have to procure a birth certificate with our married name on it? Please explain jow that can eadily happen.

[Kathleen Shields @kashields]

@elonmusk Closer than ever to limiting womens' right to vote you mean.

[Kathleen Shields @kashields]

@Bubblebathgirl @elonmusk Whst about women who changed their name(s) after marriage? Will they find their paper birth certificate includes their married name? Why would it? Now what?

[Kathleen Shields @kashields]

@SnowflakeSlayr1 @elonmusk Do women agree? Women who changed their name after marriage will face extra steps and fees. Birth certificates do not include our married names. Now what?

[Kathleen Shields @kashields]

@Kathlee71068501 Right. Your ONE example was married to a U.S. citizen. She most likely qualifies through that.

[Kathleen Shields @kashields]

@simonateba @JDVance Everything is magnified with this administration - why is that? Trump incites violence. Protesting is our constitutional right.

[Kathleen Shields @kashields]

@BethLogan4355 @GodandCountryy @elonmusk Undocumented people pay into the U.S. economy in the billions. just like you. Work hard for many years. Just like you. However, they aren't eligible for benefits like Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, or SNAP food stamps). It's not hard to find the truth or the #'s.

[Kathleen Shields @kashields]

@atrupar Who thought up the new date stamp/postmark rule?

[Kathleen Shields @kashields]

@CrazyVibes_1 So talented! I'm sorry his teacher and classmates chose to be unkind. I hope he can ignore them and continue making clever and beautiful crafts that make him (and many others!) happy.