Trump Administration Appeals to Supreme Court Over Voter Database Ruling

The Trump administration has appealed to the Supreme Court, seeking intervention in a lawsuit over a controversial data system used to review state voter rolls before upcoming midterm elections. In June, a federal judge ruled that the administration acted unlawfully by creating a centralized database called the “Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements” or SAVE, containing private information of American citizens.

U.S. District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan found the database was misused by some states, leading to the incorrect removal of U.S. citizens from voter rolls. It was part of President Trump’s broader effort to demonstrate instances of noncitizens voting in federal elections, a claim largely debunked and considered rare. Sooknanan stated that the federal government violated three federal laws and jeopardized citizens’ privacy rights and the right to vote.

The Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit recently denied the Trump administration’s request to lift a block on the SAVE database. Solicitor General D. John Sauer labeled Sooknanan’s ruling “indefensible,” stating it jeopardizes election integrity and claimed the judge overstepped her authority. Sauer argued that voting rights groups lacked legal standing to sue.

Sauer requested the Supreme Court to remove the stay on the database’s use. “SAVE does not disqualify voters; it informs states if the federal government can verify citizenship,” Sauer stated. He claimed any voter issues are state-induced, not federal, and not remedied by the court’s decision against the federal government.

This appeal emerges as the Trump administration also asked the Supreme Court to reinstate new Postal Service rules for mail voting in the midterms. The SAVE system evolved from an executive order by Mr. Trump, introducing a proof-of-citizenship requirement for voter registration. This order directed the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration to create a database enabling officials to verify citizenship status.

The executive order has faced numerous legal challenges, leading to the blocking of key provisions. Despite this, the directive prompted modifications to the SAVE system, including integrating the records of natural-born citizens, accessing Social Security records, and permitting bulk searches by database users.