Voter Registration Controversy: Texas’s Use of SAVE Raises Concerns

A Texas citizen has found himself entangled in a voter registration nightmare after being flagged as a potential noncitizen. Anthony Nel’s case highlights significant issues surrounding a new data tool aimed at verifying the citizenship of voters.

Why It Matters

The incident underscores growing concerns over the accuracy and reliability of the SAVE (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements) program, especially as it relates to maintaining voter registration rolls. Widespread disenfranchisement of eligible voters could significantly impact future elections.

Key Developments

• Voter Disenfranchisement: Anthony Nel, a U.S. citizen for over a decade, was notified by local election officials in Denton County that he needed to prove his citizenship or be removed from the voter rolls.
• SAVE Program Concerns: The Texas Secretary of State flagged 2,724 voters as potential noncitizens using the SAVE tool, raising alarm among election experts about its reliability and potential for disenfranchisement.
• Government Statements: Officials assert the SAVE program is essential for identifying noncitizen voters, although evidence of its accuracy is still in question.
• Widespread Impact: A rising number of eligible voters across Texas have received similar notices, prompting concerns about the broader implications for voter participation.

Full Report

The Case of Anthony Nel

Anthony Nel, 29, recently received a notice from the Denton County election office questioning his voter eligibility due to concerns raised by the Texas Secretary of State. This notice required him to provide proof of citizenship within 30 days, or face removal from the voter rolls. Nel, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from South Africa, expressed his confusion over the situation, given his decade of voting and possession of a U.S. passport.

The Secretary of State’s office identified Nel among 2,724 individuals flagged as potential noncitizens after running the state’s vast voter registry through the federal SAVE system. This program, originally designed to verify eligibility for government benefits, has faced criticism for its questionable accuracy, especially after being recently overhauled.

Reliability of the SAVE Program

The reliability of the SAVE program, which has been linked to both the Social Security Administration and the State Department’s passport database, is being scrutinized. Critics point out that the system’s overhaul is shrouded in a lack of transparency and has been implemented without proper oversight. While proponents claim it is an effective tool to mitigate election fraud, skeptics argue it risks disenfranchising eligible voters like Nel due to its known limitations.

Concerns about the accuracy of citizenship identification via SAVE have been exacerbated by instances of false positives, especially among individuals with complex citizenship histories. Many flagged individuals may not have clear documentation readily accessible, raising further issues of equity and access.

The Broader Implications

The implications of these actions raise questions about voter suppression. Advocacy groups have noted that even minor barriers can significantly deter eligible voters, particularly among younger populations and naturalized citizens who may lack immediate access to documents like birth certificates or naturalization records.

Despite securing his U.S. passport, Nel highlighted that many immigrants might struggle to verify their citizenship promptly, illustrating the potential for systemic disenfranchisement among various demographics.

Context & Previous Events

The Trump administration first elevated fears of noncitizen voting, prompting stricter voter verification measures. The SAVE program has undergone significant changes, linking it to additional data sources and expanding its ability to verify citizenship. However, these reforms have not been free from controversy. Historical claims of widespread noncitizen registration have largely been discredited, with significant doubts expressed by experts about the actual occurrence of such cases in electoral contexts.

Election officials and legal advocates, including Danielle Lang from the Campaign Legal Center, have raised alarms about the method of using mailed notices for citizenship verification and the lack of follow-up, which could result in eligible voters being unnecessarily purged from registration rolls. The reliance on a single mailed notice, without additional checks, poses a significant threat to voter engagement and confidence in electoral processes.