The Hunger Games actress Elizabeth Banks has spoken out against the SAVE Act, calling it “unconstitutional” because it adds an unnecessary “poll tax” on the American people. The act was introduced back in January 2025 and requires voters to have documentary proof of U.S. citizenship. However, the Pitch Perfect producer believes the government should make voting easier, not harder.
Elizabeth Banks shared her thoughts about the SAVE Act on Instagram, where it was met with plenty of support, with over 50K liking her post, plus thousands of comments. In her video, the actress pointed out how the SAVE Act doesn’t just hurt people without the proper documentation, but also those who do. Since Banks’ birth certificates and driver’s license have different names, things become more complicated if she were to use one of her birth certificates for verification to vote.
The “poll tax” Banks is referring to is the cost people need to pay to get a US passport: a base of $130, excluding fees. This doesn’t include all the additional costs, time, and effort required to get the passport, particularly for those who need more legal documents. That said, Elizabeth Banks’ call to action for the government is to just “Stop it. We are not gonna require people to go get a passport to vote.”
Banks Argues the SAVE Act Contradicts the 24th Amendment
For reference, it was the 24th Amendment that abolished poll taxes in the United States, as these taxes were to keep Black people or poor Americans from voting. Banks and many others argue that the SAVE Act is reenabling the poll tax, but through the means of pushing people to buy a passport. Since the money goes into the federal funds, the filmmaker believes it’s the government that benefits the most from this act, not the people.
Hundreds of comments on her Instagram post praised her for using her platform to speak out against the “unconstitutional” SAVE Act. “This is how they disenfranchise women,” remarked one commenter, referring to how women often have their names changed for marriage. On the flip side, there were also many users saying they’d still support the SAVE Act. Some claim that women shouldn’t change their names in the first place, or that one’s SSN should be fine with any documentation changes, regardless.
Redditors in r/Fauxmoi also take Banks’ side, supporting her rejection of the SAVE Act. One commenter argues that “the federal SAVE system has an insanely high error rate when detecting invalid voters.” Another took an opportunity to criticize Trump, pointing out how the President voted by mail-in ballot while also claiming it should be illegal.
While Elizabeth Banks has received plenty of support and praise for what she said, others disagree and believe the SAVE Act is necessary. Though, objectively speaking, voting will be harder for those who do choose to pay for a passport in order to vote.
