Balint is wrong on SAVE Act

To the Editor:
Representative Becca Balint has recently stated that non-citizens do vote in US federal elections. But she dismisses the number as “minuscule” while opposing the SAVE Act, which requires proof of citizenship for federal voter registration.
She unabashedly normalizes violations of federal law (18 USC, sec. 611) and Vermont statute (17 VSA, sec. 2121), which require US citizenship for statewide and federal voting: “Any person may register to vote who, on election day, is a citizen of the United States...” Non-citizens (including undocumented) are ineligible for state/federal elections; local exceptions in Burlington, Montpelier, and Winooski apply only to legal non-citizens.
Her absurd minimization of this federal felony erodes every citizen’s vote and subverts our republic. Opposing prevention measures invites electoral fraud. Is that what she is encouraging? Breaking the law?
We Vermonters deserve representatives who uphold—not excuse - breaches of the law. Balint should publicly apologize, retract her statement, support the SAVE Act, and commit to enforcing federal and Vermont voting laws — indeed, all laws.
To her supporters: If you truly value “democracy” and the rule of law, demand she retract this endorsement of lawbreaking immediately — silence equals complicity in undermining the sacred right you, your families, and I fought to protect. Rights so many Americans have died fighting to protect.
Will you stomp on their sacrifice? Stomp on their graves?
Pam Baker
Halifax