Texas Uncovers 2,000 Potential Noncitizens in Voter Rolls, Sparking Election Integrity Debate

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In Austin, Texas, the Secretary of State, Jane Nelson, announced that her office has undertaken a comprehensive audit of the state’s voter registration records using the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ SAVE database to verify citizenship.

Through this review, Nelson reported that over 2,000 individuals potentially not meeting the citizenship criteria have been found on Texas’s voter registration list.

“Participation in our elections is reserved solely for eligible U.S. citizens,” Nelson stated in a news release on Monday. She emphasized that having unrestricted access to this dataset has been transformative in verifying the citizenship status of registered voters and ensuring the accuracy of voter records.

As early voting in Texas kicks off with initiatives like brain health research on the ballot, the release detailed that 2,724 potential noncitizens were flagged as registered voters. These records have been forwarded to Texas counties for further investigation into the voters’ eligibility. Any individuals confirmed as noncitizens who participated in a Texas election will subsequently be referred to the Office of the Attorney General for further action.

Those identified as potential noncitizens will receive a notice from the county voter registrar and will have 30 days to provide proof of citizenship, the release said. If a response is not received by the county, the registration will be canceled.

“Everyone’s right to vote is sacred and must be protected,” Nelson said. “We encourage counties to conduct rigorous investigations to determine if any voter is ineligible, Nelson added.

Early voting runs from Oct. 20, through Oct. 31. Election Day is Nov. 4.