❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Texas Secretary of State’s office identified 2,724 people on voter rolls who may not be U.S. citizens, following a cross-check with the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson and county election officials, utilizing data from the federal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) SAVE program.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Texas, with a press release issued on Monday, covering all 254 counties in the state.
💬KEY QUOTE: “We appreciate the partnership with the federal government to verify the citizenship of those on our voter rolls and maintain accurate voter lists.” – Jane Nelson
🎯IMPACT: County election officials will notify flagged voters, with a 30-day period to verify citizenship before potential removal from voter rolls.
The office of Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson has pinpointed 2,724 possible noncitizens listed on the state’s voter registration database, following a cross-check with the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system. This initiative, supported by the Trump administration’s broadened access to federal records, represents a key advancement in ensuring accurate voter rolls.
Secretary of State Jane Nelson remarked: “We appreciate the partnership with the federal government to verify the citizenship of those on our voter rolls and maintain accurate voter lists.” The process involved scrutinizing 18 million voter records against SAVE’s citizenship information, highlighting cases for additional checks. These potential cases are distributed throughout Texas counties, with the highest concentrations in Harris (362), Dallas (277), Bexar (201), and El Paso (165).
Local county election authorities are now alerting those flagged and offering a 30-day period to confirm their citizenship. Voters who fail to submit evidence could see their registrations suspended temporarily, with the option for restoration once eligibility is validated. Federal election laws bar noncitizens from casting votes.
A Department of Homeland Security representative commented, “Illegal aliens have exploited outdated systems to defraud Americans and taint our elections. This revamped SAVE system will ensure government officials can swiftly verify legal status, halting entitlements and voter fraud.”
The examination encompassed all 254 Texas counties, assigning election officials the duty of in-depth probes to guarantee that only qualified voters stay listed. Secretary Nelson stressed, “Everyone’s right to vote is sacred and must be protected. The SAVE database has proven to be a critically important data set and one of many that we will continue to use in Texas to ensure that only qualified voters cast a ballot in our elections.”
Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.