Alabama to Use Federal Immigration Database to Check Voter Citizenship

Secretary of State Wes Allen to use DHS database to screen voter rolls for noncitizens in effort backed by Trump administration.

WASHINGTON — Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen announced Wednesday that his office has signed a formal agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to access a federal immigration database in an effort to identify noncitizens on the state’s voter rolls.

The agreement allows Alabama to use the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program, operated by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, to verify the immigration status of registered voters and individuals submitting new voter registration applications.

“My office plans to begin using SAVE to verify the citizenship status of registered voters in Alabama and all incoming voter registrations in the immediate future,” Allen said in a statement. “Ensuring that only eligible United States citizens are registered to vote in Alabama is a vital step to protecting our elections.”