Millions of Voter Records Under Review Amidst Controversy Over New Citizenship Verification System
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has introduced a revamped tool that has sparked both interest and skepticism among election officials nationwide. This system, known as SAVE, has already been used to verify the citizenship status of over 33 million voters. However, the lack of transparency regarding its accuracy and data handling has raised concerns.
On August 15, the SAVE tool was updated to require only the last four digits of Social Security numbers, along with names and dates of birth. This change has made it easier for state election officials to check the citizenship status of voters or determine if they are deceased. Despite this, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has yet to address questions from Congress and state officials about the system’s data security measures.
Charles Stewart, director of the MIT Election Data and Science Lab, voiced his concerns, stating, “There’s still uncertainty about what is happening, what happens to the data that are shared with USCIS.”
Several Republican-led states have embraced SAVE, with Ohio using it to identify deceased voters for removal from the rolls. Louisiana’s Secretary of State announced that 79 noncitizens, who had voted since the 1980s, were identified after a comprehensive review of the state’s voter list through SAVE.
Despite the tool’s potential, some states remain wary. North Carolina and Mississippi, for example, have expressed hesitance, citing unresolved questions about data handling and legal authority to use the system.
SAVE’s Role in Election Data Management
USCIS has not responded to NPR’s inquiries about the fate of uploaded data and access permissions. Concerns are further exacerbated by recent actions from President Trump’s administration, which include claims of noncitizen voting and attempts to alter voter registration laws.
While USCIS aims to make the tool accessible and efficient, its integration with the Social Security Administration’s data raises privacy concerns. The tool’s capability to identify deceased individuals from the Death Master File has led to almost 80% of the voter checks since the new update.
Calls for Transparency and Caution
Senator Alex Padilla and other Democrats have requested detailed information about SAVE’s accuracy and data storage practices, but have not received a response. Maine’s Secretary of State, Shenna Bellows, expressed worries over the system potentially leading to a national voter registration database.
USCIS claims that detailed evidence on SAVE’s accuracy is unavailable, leaving some election officials concerned about the potential for eligible voters to be wrongly removed from voting lists. J. Christian Adams, a conservative advocate, emphasized the importance of caution, stating, “The worst thing you can get is a false positive.”
Louisiana’s Implementation of SAVE
Louisiana’s recent use of SAVE identified 390 suspected noncitizens out of the state’s voter rolls, with 79 having participated in past elections. These individuals are given 21 days to prove their citizenship before being removed. The percentage of suspected noncitizens aligns with findings from other reviews.
MIT’s Charles Stewart noted that the small numbers of noncitizen voters indicate expected outcomes, but he remains concerned over USCIS’s lack of transparency regarding data handling and results.
In Minnesota, Secretary of State Steve Simon requires legislative changes to utilize SAVE and seeks more assurance of its accuracy before considering its adoption.
