Executive summary: The Trump administration’s enhanced efforts to audit voter rolls using the SAVE database have already led to dozens of U.S. citizens in Texas being flagged as potential noncitizens, raising concerns about voter suppression ahead of the midterm elections.
The Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) tool, recently overhauled by the Trump administration, is being used by states like Texas to verify the citizenship of registered voters. This initiative has identified thousands of potential noncitizens, but a significant number are actually U.S. citizens who have been incorrectly flagged.
In Texas alone, Secretary of State Jane Nelson flagged 2,724 registered voters as potential noncitizens after running the state’s entire voter list through SAVE. Among them is Sofia Minotti, a 24-year-old graduate student and naturalized citizen, who received a notice demanding proof of citizenship within 30 days or risk removal from the rolls. Minotti, who has voted in every election since turning 18, provided her U.S. passport and preserved her registration, but expressed offense at the scrutiny.
Election officials in Texas and other states have found that many of those flagged are citizens. For instance, in Denton County, out of 84 flagged voters, 14 were confirmed as registered in error, 15 proved citizenship, and 55 had their registrations canceled after not responding to notices. Similar issues have been reported in Idaho, where most flagged voters turned out to be citizens after investigation.
The SAVE tool has known defects, particularly in identifying foreign-born individuals who acquired citizenship through naturalized parents. Anthony Nel, a Texas resident who became a U.S. citizen as a teenager, was flagged and removed from the rolls after failing to respond to a notice. NPR reported that SAVE may not confirm citizenship for such individuals if they lack certain certificates or if Social Security records are incomplete.
Critics, including voting rights advocates and Democratic officials, argue that SAVE is unreliable and could disenfranchise eligible voters. They point to low accuracy rates and the burden placed on voters to prove citizenship with documents that some may not have readily available. The Brennan Center for Justice and other groups have raised concerns about the tool’s rollout without transparency or congressional input.
Politically, this push aligns with President Trump’s longstanding but baseless claims about noncitizen voting affecting elections. The administration has encouraged states to use SAVE, while the Justice Department has sued states that refuse to comply. This has sparked fears that the tool could be used to challenge election results, especially in the upcoming midterms.
Looking ahead, the issue is likely to intensify as early voting begins in Texas and other states prepare for elections. Legal challenges are ongoing, and election officials are urging voters to check their registration status. The debate highlights broader tensions over election integrity and voter access in a polarized political climate.
