Election Officials Warn of Data Security Risks from Trump Administration's Voter Verification Program

As the 2026 midterm elections approach, election and privacy experts are raising serious concerns about the Department of Homeland Security's Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) Program, which the Trump administration has expanded to identify noncitizens on voter rolls. The program, originally created in 1987 to verify eligibility for public benefits, cross-references federal immigration databases with state voter registration lists. The Department of Justice has demanded nearly every state provide complete voter information for comparison, with instructions to purge any voters deemed ineligible within 45 days.

The core issue is data security and accuracy. State voter rolls contain highly sensitive information including Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, and voter participation history. Critics argue the program is unreliable for determining citizenship, as it draws from sources like the Social Security Administration that provide only "a snapshot in time" rather than definitive information. Recently naturalized citizens, who are legally entitled to vote, may not be recognized by the system. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, while some states have successfully resisted the demands, 16 have agreed to provide full voter registration lists, with Texas and Alaska implementing purges. Texas identified 2,724 "potential noncitizens" out of 18 million records audited in October 2025, though these remain unconfirmed discrepancies.

Election experts argue the expanded SAVE program addresses a virtually nonexistent problem. A 2014 analysis found only 31 credible instances of voter impersonation out of one billion ballots cast since 2000. Eileen O'Connor, senior counsel at the Brennan Center, stated: "The federal government doesn't have the authority to do any of that and doesn't have the expertise either. Inserting themselves into the day-to-day functioning of state elections is unprecedented and disturbing." The administration contends it has authority under the National Voter Registration Act to ensure proper voter registration procedures, but critics counter that federal involvement in day-to-day election administration represents an unprecedented federal overreach that threatens voter disenfranchisement and data privacy.