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Texas voter registration application forms are waiting for people to register during a voter registration drive hosted by the Houston Rockets Friday, Sept. 25, 2020, at Toyota Center in Houston. The event gave people who are eligible the opportunity
AUSTIN, Texas – A review of Texas voting rolls has uncovered thousands of potential noncitizens registered to vote in the state.
Secretary of State Jane Nelson said 2,724 people were identified after a review of the state’s voter registration list against the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ SAVE database.
Texas identifies 2,700 potential noncitizens registered to vote
The state compared the list of  more than 18 million registered voters against the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements database where it identified the 2,724 people who might by illegally registered to vote.
Nelson said the list was sent to each county in Texas who will be tasked with conducting their own investigations into the voter registration.
What they’re saying:
“Only eligible United States citizens may participate in our elections,” Nelson said. “The Trump Administration’s decision to give states free and direct access to this data set for the first time has been a game changer, and we appreciate the partnership with the federal government to verify the citizenship of those on our voter rolls and maintain accurate voter lists.”
Under Chapter 16 of the Texas Election Code, counties will have to verify the eligibility of those registered to vote and remove ineligible voters from the rolls.
The process involves the county voter registrar sending a notice to those identified. Those who receive a notice will have to verify citizenship to remain a registered voter. If that person does not verify citizenship within 30 days, then they are removed from the voter roll.
Those that are determined to be noncitizens and voted in a state election will be referred to the attorney general’s office.
What counties had the most potential noncitizens registered to vote
The review listed potential noncitizen voters in 189 of Texas’ 254 counties.
Harris County had the highest number with 362 possible voters. Dallas, Bexar and El Paso counties had the next highest numbers with 277, 201 and 165 respectively. The secretary of state identified 97 potential noncitizen voters in Travis County.
What they’re saying:
“Everyone’s right to vote is sacred and must be protected. We encourage counties to conduct rigorous investigations to determine if any voter is ineligible — just as they do with any other data set we provide,” Nelson said. “The SAVE database has proven to be a critically important data set and one of many that we will continue to use in Texas to ensure that only qualified voters cast a ballot in our elections.”
The backstory:
Nelson previously sent a list of 33 names to the attorney general’s office after a review of voters during the November 2024 election.
A constitutional amendment on the November 2025 ballot would add language to the Texas Constitution that “persons who are not citizens of the United States: cannot vote in the state. That provision is already part of state law.
SAVE Database
SAVE is a database used by government agencies to verify the immigration status of applicants seeking benefits or licenses.Â
The database is maintained by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Texas Secretary of State’s Office and previous FOX 7 coverage.