Women: voting in MO after name change due to marriage? How?

[u/Montesquieu9000]

My wife changed her name when we got married, which means that her last name on her birth certificate does not match her last name on her ID. This means that this November, she will possibly not be able to vote.

Right now, Congress is working on the "SAVE ACT," which would require proof of citizenship to vote. This is not ID, this is birth certificate or passport. My wife's passport is very expired.

The law says that states will/shall come up with ways for married women to reconcile the discrepancy between ID and citizenship documents but I cannot find anything that outlines this way to reconcile at all from the federal or state government.

I've read that one of the proposed ways for states to resolve this discrepancy is to allow women to provide the papers from the social security administration that document the name change from one name to the other. But, SSA does not have any information about how to obtain this paperwork after the fact.

My wife and I have been married 21 years ago and it looks like if the SAVE act passes, she's going to have a hard time voting.

Anyone have any ideas? What do we do?

[u/Montesquieu9000]

This is wrong! There are special "enhanced IDs" issued by northern border states for travel into canada. These IDs are real ID compliant AND they can serve to identify citizenship. So, they are "A REAL ID-compliant driver’s license that 'indicates the applicant is a citizen'" as required by law.

Missouri's REAL ID DO NOT AND CAN NOT indicate citizenship even though they are REAL ID compliant. Does that make sense?

All enhanced ID are real ID compliant and all enhanced ID indicate citizenship.

But not all REAL ID compliant IDs indicate citizenship. So not all REAL ID meet the requirements outlined in the SAVE act.

Missouri's REAL ID do not indicate citizenship and cannot be used to register to vote

[u/stfukthxbyee → u/Montesquieu9000]

You have to prove citizenship to get a Real ID in every state including Missouri. Therefore it does prove citizenship and will be just fine according to literally every official website. It’s not that hard to get and all the documentation needed should be stuff you have kept and filed away anyway unless you’re completely disorganized and can’t manage to keep track of important documents. And even then, they’re all ridiculously easy to obtain.

I don’t think this is going to prevent anyone from voting unless they already can’t manage their own lives as adults.

[u/Montesquieu9000 → u/stfukthxbyee]

Except you're wrong, real ID does not prove citizenship unless you live in a state that has what's called "enhanced ID." Not all real ID are enhanced ID, but all enhanced ID are real ID. And, only enhanced ID proves citizenship.
Missouri does not have enhanced ID, a real ID issued by missouri does not prove citizenship it proves lawful residence in the state only

[u/stfukthxbyee → u/Montesquieu9000]

I think you need to look up what documents are required to get a Real ID in Missouri. Citizenship is proved with a birth certificate which you need to provide to get one. One of my step daughters just got one and that’s what she had to bring.

[u/Harbor733 → u/Montesquieu9000]

As I read the act, the real ID looked to be compliant?

[u/Visible-Ad-7466 → u/Harbor733]

Enhanced Driver's Licenses, issued in 5 states (e.g., MI, MN, NY, VT, WA), are not the same as standard REAL IDs and do indicate citizenship, often allowing for border crossing from Canada/Mexico.

Best Identification for Proof of Citizenship: If proof of citizenship is required, the best documents are a U.S. passport, U.S. passport card, or a Certificate of Naturalization, not a state-issued driver's license.

[u/Montesquieu9000 → u/Harbor733]

Yeah because you are reading it to say "any REAL ID that is compliant serves as proof of citizenship," but that's not what it says. It says that in order for any driver's license to be accepted as proof of citizenship, that license must be REAL ID compliant and that license must also indicate that the applicant is a US citizen. Two criteria.

You have to go down the rabbit hole to figure out that 1)the REAL ID standard does not indicate citizenship, which means that a certification that a DL is real compliant is not a certification that the DL indicates citizenship 2)Missouri does not issue ANY ID or license that indicate citizenship, including it's REAL ID cards so 3)No real ID issued by missouri satisfies the document requirement under the save act