The Texas Secretary of State’s office uncovered 2,724 individuals potentially not U.S. citizens listed on the state’s voter registration database after cross-referencing data with the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program. The initiative, part of a broader effort to ensure electoral accuracy, involved analyzing 18 million voter records against SAVE’s citizenship information.
Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson highlighted the collaboration with federal authorities, stating, “We appreciate the partnership with the federal government to verify the citizenship of those on our voter rolls and maintain accurate voter lists.” The flagged voters, spread across all 254 counties, face a 30-day window to confirm their eligibility. Those who fail to provide proof may temporarily lose their registration, though they can restore it upon validation.
The Department of Homeland Security emphasized the SAVE system’s role in combating fraud, noting, “Illegal aliens have exploited outdated systems to defraud Americans and taint our elections.” Harris County had the highest number of flagged voters at 362, followed by Dallas (277), Bexar (201), and El Paso (165). Local election officials are now tasked with investigating each case to ensure only qualified voters remain on the rolls.
Nelson reiterated the importance of safeguarding voting rights, calling the SAVE database “a critically important data set” for Texas elections.
