Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson announced her office completed a comparison of the state’s voter registration list against the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ SAVE database, identifying 2,724 potential noncitizens registered to vote. Nelson emphasized that only U.S. citizens are eligible to participate in elections, citing the Trump Administration’s provision of federal data as a critical tool for verifying citizenship.

The Texas voter rolls, which include over 18 million registrants, were cross-referenced with the SAVE database, leading to the discovery of the 2,724 individuals. These cases have been forwarded to counties for investigation under Chapter 16 of the Texas Election Code. Counties are tasked with determining eligibility, with noncitizens found to have voted referred to the Office of the Attorney General.

Voters flagged as potential noncitizens will receive notices from county registrars, allowing 30 days to submit proof of citizenship. Failure to respond results in cancellation of registration, though reinstatement is possible by presenting valid documentation. Nelson reiterated that protecting voting rights requires rigorous scrutiny of voter eligibility.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott highlighted the findings as part of broader efforts to secure elections, noting that Senate Bill 1 has removed over 1 million ineligible registrations since its enactment. Abbott called the initiative a model for election integrity, with Harris County reporting the highest number of potential noncitizens at 362, followed by Dallas (277), Bexar (201), and El Paso (165) counties. The state has positioned itself as a leader in ensuring only qualified voters participate in elections.