The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has approved a plan aimed at assisting states in verifying the citizenship of registered voters while keeping an eye on mail ballot activities for any potential indications of fraud. This initiative forms a key aspect of President Donald Trump’s election integrity agenda. The DHS gave the green light to this plan last Thursday, with an expected rollout by the end of June, as indicated by a court filing submitted on Friday.
Under this plan, states will have permission to submit their full voter registration lists to a federal immigration database to confirm citizenship and voting eligibility. Furthermore, state election officials will gain secure access to citizenship data from federal agencies such as the Social Security Administration and the State Department.
DHS plans to collaborate with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to track mail-in and absentee ballot trends, pinpoint unusual patterns, detect potential fraud, and create investigative leads, according to court documents.
DHS plans to work with the United States Postal Service (USPS) to monitor mail-in and absentee ballot trends, identify any anomalies indicating voter fraud or misuse, and produce authorized investigative leads, the filing specified.
This action follows President Trump’s executive order from March 31, titled “Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections.” The order mandates the formation of state citizenship lists, requiring DHS to pinpoint U.S. citizens aged 18 and older and distribute this information to state election officials.
Additionally, the USPS is forbidden from delivering mail-in ballots to individuals not listed on a state-supplied “Mail-In and Absentee Participation List.” All outgoing mail-in ballot envelopes must display an “Official Election Mail” marking and a unique tracking barcode to ensure only citizens vote.
According to a court filing dated June 5, states will have the capability to submit their voter registration lists to a federal immigration database known as the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program. This system will match voter records with federal immigration and citizenship data, including records from the Social Security Administration, to verify voter eligibility.
Furthermore, the plan outlines a secure online system, providing state election officials with direct access to citizenship data held by federal agencies, including the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the Social Security Administration (SSA), and the State Department.
To ensure data security, the information will remain within each agency’s system, and state officials will conduct verification checks through a secure portal when determining voter eligibility.