Nearly three dozen “potential noncitizens” have been referred for investigation after casting ballots in Texas’ 2024 elections, the state’s elections chief announced Thursday.
According to a press release from the office of Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson, the 33 individuals whose citizenship remains in question are recorded as having voted in the Lone Star State’s 2024 November general election. Their names have since been given to the state attorney general’s office for further investigation.
The discovery, according to the release, was made after Texas was given access to the Department of Homeland Security’s SAVE database. As described by the federal agency, SAVE is “an online service for registered federal, state, territorial, tribal, and local government agencies to verify immigration status and naturalized/acquired U.S. citizenship of applicants seeking benefits or licenses.”
The system was made available to states after President Trump issued an elections-related executive order in March, which, in part, directed the DHS to “share database information with States upon request so they can fulfill” their duties of “maintain[ing] an accurate and current Statewide list of every legally registered voter in the State.”
“Gaining access to this database has been a game-changer. Not only have we been able to identify individuals who should not have voted in the last election, we have also been able to confirm naturalization of dozens more,” Nelson said in a statement.
Hellbound and Down 