Texas Identifies 2,700 Potential Noncitizens on Voter Rolls in Statewide Review
Statewide Audit Uncovers Potential Noncitizen Voters
A sweeping statewide review of voter registration data in Texas has uncovered 2,724 potential noncitizens on the state’s voter rolls, officials announced this week. The discovery, made after comparing Texas’ more than 18 million registered voters with federal citizenship records, has spurred a new wave of verification efforts across all 254 counties.
The initiative marks one of the most significant election integrity efforts yet under recent state reforms. According to Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson, the collaboration with federal agencies was made possible through expanded access to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database.
“Only eligible United States citizens may participate in our elections,” Nelson said in a statement. “The Trump Administration’s decision to give states free and direct access to this data set for the first time has been a game changer, and we appreciate the partnership with the federal government to verify the citizenship of those on our voter rolls and maintain accurate voter lists.”
How the Review Was Conducted
The Texas Secretary of State’s office compared the state’s database of registered voters with federal records maintained by the SAVE system, which tracks immigration and naturalization data. When discrepancies or incomplete naturalization records appeared, the system flagged the individual registration as potentially ineligible.
All 2,724 cases identified have now been referred to county election administrators for verification under Chapter 16 of the Texas Election Code. Local officials are responsible for contacting each voter, requesting proof of citizenship, and, where necessary, removing confirmed noncitizens from the rolls.
Counties began mailing out verification notices this week. Each flagged registrant will have 30 days to respond with documentation confirming citizenship. Failure to respond may result in the cancellation of that voter’s registration, though eligibility can later be restored upon providing proof of citizenship.
County-Level Impact and Response
While the flagged registrations are spread across the state, the largest numbers were found in Texas’s most populous areas. Harris County led the list with 362 potential noncitizens, followed by Dallas County with 277, Bexar County with 201, and El Paso County with 165. Many smaller rural counties reported fewer than ten cases each.
County registrars have been directed to treat each record individually, ensuring due process for voters who may have recently naturalized or who appear in the database due to outdated federal records.
Nelson emphasized that the aim of the review is accuracy, not suppression. “Everyone’s right to vote is sacred and must be protected,” she said. “We encourage counties to conduct rigorous investigations to determine if any voter is ineligible – just as they do with any other data set we provide.”
Possible Legal Ramifications for Noncitizen Voting
Under Texas law, confirmed noncitizens who voted in previous elections can be referred to the Office of the Attorney General for review and potential prosecution. The Attorney General’s Election Integrity Unit has previously investigated similar cases that arose from past voter roll audits.
Voting illegally as a noncitizen is a felony under Texas law, carrying potential prison time and fines. While the number of documented cases is comparatively small, state officials say even isolated violations undermine public confidence in elections.
In June, the Secretary of State referred 33 potential noncitizens who allegedly voted in the November 2024 general election to the Attorney General for investigation. Those referrals came shortly after the state gained access to the SAVE database, allowing officials to identify individuals who may have misrepresented their status when registering.
Historical Context: Voter Roll Maintenance in Texas
Efforts to maintain accurate voter lists in Texas date back decades, with periodic reviews targeting deceased voters, individuals who moved out of state, and those convicted of felonies. However, the integration of federal citizenship data marks a turning point in the state’s capacity to detect noncitizen registrations.
Governor Greg Abbott emphasized that these measures reflect a long-term commitment to election integrity.
“These reforms have led to the removal of over one million ineligible people from our voter rolls in the last three years, including noncitizens, deceased voters, and people who moved to another state,” Abbott said. “Illegal voting in Texas will never be tolerated. We will continue to actively safeguard Texans’ sacred right to vote while also aggressively protecting our elections from illegal voting.”
The governor credited the collaboration between the Secretary of State’s office and county voter registrars for refining the state’s election management system. He described Texas as “leading the nation in election integrity.”
Federal Partnership and Data Accuracy Improvements
Texas’s access to the SAVE database stems from a pilot program with the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the Department of Justice. The partnership aims to modernize state-level voter verification systems by integrating up-to-date federal records.
“We are in the early stages of this pilot program, but we already see promising results. This may be the most current and accurate data set there is when it comes to citizenship verification,” Nelson said.
The SAVE database, originally designed to verify eligibility for government benefits, has historically been limited in election use due to federal restrictions. The Trump Administration’s policy shift granting direct access to states has broadened its role in maintaining voter eligibility lists.
Comparisons With Other States
Texas is not alone in its renewed focus on ensuring voter roll integrity. Georgia, Florida, and Arizona have also launched initiatives to cross-check registrations with immigration databases.
Florida’s 2023 review removed over 8,000 suspected noncitizens after verification through the Department of Homeland Security. Georgia’s audit flagged roughly 1,600, though investigations later confirmed that the majority had naturalized since registration. Arizona, under a similar process, identified fewer than 500 potential noncitizen registrations last year.
The Texas audit, involving one of the largest voter populations in the country, could serve as a model for other states seeking to strengthen verification procedures while balancing the need to protect lawful voters from erroneous removals.
Economic and Administrative Implications
Election administrators note that implementing these reviews carries both administrative and financial burdens. Counties must dedicate staff time to send notices, process responses, and update databases. However, state officials argue that the costs are outweighed by the long-term benefits of cleaner rolls and reduced legal exposure from contested elections.
Accurate voter registration also affects local and federal funding allocations tied to voting district populations. Errors in registration data can distort turnout statistics, affect redistricting, and influence political resource distribution. Maintaining updated rolls is thus not only a matter of electoral integrity but also of economic and civic accuracy.
Public Reaction and Future Outlook
Public response across Texas has been mixed. Supporters of the initiative see it as a critical step in upholding election laws and preventing fraud. Critics caution that mistaken removals could disenfranchise legitimate naturalized citizens if verification processes are not carefully managed.
Civil rights organizations have urged counties to apply rigorous validation standards before canceling registrations, warning against relying solely on federal databases that may not capture recent naturalizations promptly.
Despite the debate, Texas election officials maintain that periodic citizenship reviews will remain a standard feature of the state’s election system. Counties are expected to complete their current investigations by early December, with removals and referrals following immediately after.
Nelson said ongoing periodic checks against federal databases will continue to refine Texas’s voter rolls. “The SAVE database has proven to be a critically important data set and one of many that we will continue to use in Texas to ensure that only qualified voters cast a ballot in our elections,” she said.
The state’s next scheduled crosscheck is expected in mid-2026, in advance of the congressional primaries. With the combination of new data access, stricter verification protocols, and heightened public oversight, Texas officials hope to set a national standard for transparent, credible, and lawfully maintained voter registration systems.