Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson announced her office completed a comparison of the state’s voter registration list against “citizenship data in the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ SAVE database.” The review identified over 2,700 “potential noncitizens who are registered to vote in Texas.”
“Only eligible United States citizens may participate in our elections,” Nelson stated. She credited the Trump Administration for providing states access to the SAVE database, calling it a “game changer” for verifying voter citizenship. The findings were shared with Texas counties, which will investigate the eligibility of these voters under Chapter 16 of the Texas Election Code. If confirmed as noncitizens, individuals who voted in Texas elections will face referral to the Office of the Attorney General.
The process involves notifying potential noncitizens via county voter registrars, allowing them 30 days to submit proof of citizenship. Failure to respond results in cancellation of their registration, though it can be reinstated by presenting valid documentation. Nelson emphasized the importance of maintaining accurate voter rolls, stating, “Everyone’s right to vote is sacred and must be protected.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott praised the effort, claiming the state has removed over 1 million ineligible registrations since Senate Bill 1 was enacted. He reiterated that only U.S. citizens can vote in Texas, calling the initiative a model for election integrity. A breakdown revealed Harris County had the highest number of potential noncitizens at 362, followed by Dallas (277), Bexar (201), and El Paso (165).
