DHS Advances Plan for Voter Citizenship Verification

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has approved a strategy to assist states in confirming voter citizenship. This initiative also involves monitoring mail ballot flows for irregularities, aligning with President Donald Trump’s focus on election integrity.

Approved last Thursday, the plan is expected to start by the end of June, as stated in a recent court filing. The proposal lets states submit their voter registration lists to a federal immigration database to verify voter citizenship and eligibility. Election officials will have secure access to citizenship records from federal agencies like the Social Security Administration and the State Department.

DHS intends to collaborate with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to track mail-in ballots. This partnership aims to identify voting anomalies, potential fraud, and generate investigative insights. The filings confirm that this measure supports President Trump’s executive order signed on March 31.

“Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections” is the focus, tasking DHS with compiling a list of confirmed U.S. citizens over 18 to share with state election officials.

The USPS will not deliver ballots to anyone who isn’t on a state-provided “Mail-In and Absentee Participation List.” Envelopes for mail-in ballots will have an “Official Election Mail” mark and a unique tracking barcode to ensure only eligible voters participate.

According to a June 5 court filing, states can use the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to compare voter records with federal data, including information from the Social Security Administration, to verify eligibility.

A secure online system will allow state officials direct access to citizenship data from federal entities like U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the Social Security Administration, and the State Department. To protect this data, information will remain within each agency’s system with state officials conducting checks through a secure portal.