The Secretary of State’s Offices sent notices after checking the entire Texas voter list of 18 million-plus names against citizenship data in a federal database.
AUSTIN, Texas — Across Texas, county elections officials are taking a second look at their voter rolls.
The Texas Secretary of State’s Office sent notices, saying out of the more than 18 million registered voters in Texas, 2,724 voters are possibly not U.S. citizens, making them ineligible to vote.
The state sent the notices on Tuesday, on the second day of early voting for the November election, two weeks out from Election Day.
Staff in the Secretary of State’s Office ran the names of registered Texas voters against citizenship data in a federal database, and that’s how they got this list.
Previously, counties would rely on the state for information, like DPS data and death records, in a more constant, gradual process of list maintenance.
Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson wrote in a statement on Tuesday, “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.”
In a news release, SOS officials noted Texas was one of the first states to run its voter list through that federal database, known as SAVE, an online database that’s typically used by government agencies to verify immigration status and U.S. citizenship.
In Central Texas, the SOS found there could be 97 noncitizens on the voter roll in Travis County, 28 in Williamson County, eight in Bastrop County and six in Hays County.
Chris McGinn, executive director of Texas Association of County Election Officials, said his members got the numbers five days before the notice was sent.
“I thought that was lower than I expected,” said McGinn. “It’s not even half a percentage point of the total registered voters.”
McGinn said some of his group’s members were concerned by the timing, with many working overtime to clear registration backlogs, along with the start of early voting just days away. He notes errors can happen.
“This is a very general database kind of comparison, and as you know, with surnames and names that look very similar,” said McGinn. “Until I got into elections, I was amazed at how many people had the same name and the same birth date in the same state.”
Tax Assessor-Collector Celia Israel oversees voter registration in Travis County. In a statement to KVUE on Tuesday, she called the timing of this notice during early voting “unprecedented.”
Israel said her office is investigating the voting records, adding, “Thorough investigation can take time before sending any 30-day notice to registered voters for proof of citizenship verification.”
Meanwhile, Williamson County Elections Administrator Bridgette Escobedo told KVUE in a statement she appreciates SOS providing the information to allow for “a thorough and rigorous investigation.”
“We sent the legally required notices to the 28 voters and are working with each voter to confirm their eligibility,” wrote Escobedo.
McGinn suggests people check their voter registration before heading to the polls. He recommended requesting a provisional ballot if there’s an issue but that voter is a citizen, eligible and registered before the deadline.