A new analysis from the Center for American Progress warns that the Trump administration’s efforts to identify potential noncitizens on voter registration rolls could mistakenly flag eligible American voters and threaten their ability to cast ballots in the November midterm elections.
The analysis, written by Ben Hovland and Emma Hulbert, raises concerns about the Department of Homeland Security’s use of federal databases to compare citizenship information with state voter registration records. The researchers argue that inaccurate or outdated information can produce misleading results, potentially placing eligible voters at risk of being removed from registration lists.
At the center of the controversy is the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements system, known as SAVE, which was originally developed to help government agencies verify immigration status when determining eligibility for public benefits. The Trump administration has expanded its use to help identify potential noncitizens on voter rolls.
According to the report, the process has produced substantial numbers of false matches, raising questions about the reliability of the information being used and the safeguards available to voters.
In Nevada, federal officials initially flagged nearly 16,000 registered voters as potential noncitizens in July 2026. The Department of Homeland Security subsequently provided 185 names for state officials to review, but Nevada election officials determined that all 185 individuals were U.S. citizens, according to the Center for American Progress.
Similar concerns surfaced in Missouri, where the analysis identified discrepancies in the federal data. In Boone County, a local election official reported that more than half of the individuals flagged for review were citizens.
Texas also reviewed its voter registration database against the federal SAVE system, identifying 2,724 potential noncitizens for additional examination. Of those, 117 cases were referred for investigation, representing approximately 0.0006% of the state’s 18.7 million registered voters.
A referral for investigation, however, does not establish that an individual registered or voted illegally.
The administration has maintained that efforts to identify noncitizens on voter rolls are necessary to protect election integrity. The Center for American Progress argues that the differences between initial database matches and verified findings demonstrate why election officials must independently examine potential discrepancies before taking action.
The expanded federal role also raises questions about oversight of voter registration records. Maintaining accurate voter rolls has traditionally been the responsibility of state and local election officials, who must follow federal and state laws governing when and how registrations can be removed.
The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 establishes protections for eligible voters while allowing election officials to remove outdated or ineligible registrations. The law requires covered states to conduct list maintenance through uniform and nondiscriminatory procedures and generally prohibits systematic voter removals within 90 days of a federal election.
Those restrictions are intended to prevent eligible voters from being removed too close to an election to resolve registration problems.
Election officials regularly update registration records when voters move, change their names, die or otherwise become ineligible. Accurate records help election administrators operate efficiently and reduce confusion at polling places.
Problems can arise when database matches are treated as evidence of illegal registration without sufficient investigation. People can share names, birth dates and portions of identifying information without being the same individual. In a nationwide registration system involving more than 200 million voters, such similarities can generate false matches.
A September whistleblower allegation also raised concerns about voter privacy. According to the analysis, Department of Homeland Security personnel were accused of improperly accessing sensitive state voter information while conducting federal list-matching activities. The allegation raises questions about whether federal agencies followed applicable state laws.
The legal dispute over the expanded use of SAVE has also reached the federal courts. According to the Center for American Progress, a federal judge blocked the expanded system’s use in June, but the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Sept. 25 that the administration could temporarily make the system available to states for voter roll reviews.
The researchers contend that the ruling places greater importance on how state and local election officials evaluate potential registration discrepancies as the midterm elections approach.
Earlier efforts to identify noncitizens on voter rolls have produced similar concerns about accuracy. In Florida, a 2011-12 initiative initially identified approximately 180,000 potential noncitizens. A subsequent review resulted in the removal of only 85 people identified as alleged noncitizens, according to the analysis.
The Center for American Progress claims that such examples demonstrate the danger of drawing broad conclusions about voter fraud from preliminary database results.
Beyond the potential loss of voting rights, inaccurate matches can create additional work for local election offices, requiring officials to investigate records and correct mistakes that could otherwise affect eligible voters.
With the November elections approaching, voters are encouraged to confirm that their registration information is current and contact election officials if they discover an error.
The Help America Vote Act provides for provisional ballots when questions arise about a person’s eligibility. These ballots allow voters to participate while election officials determine whether their votes can be counted. Provisional ballots are not automatically counted, making it important for voters to resolve registration issues whenever possible before Election Day.
Washington residents can check their voter registration information through the Secretary of State’s official election website at VoteWA.gov.
The Center for American Progress maintains that protecting election integrity and maintaining accurate voter rolls must go hand in hand with ensuring eligible Americans are not mistakenly denied the opportunity to vote.
As election officials prepare for November, the findings underscore the importance of verifying potential registration problems before taking action that could affect a voter’s rights.
