Republican States Reach Settlement Over Voter Citizenship Data Access

Fri Dec 05 2025 14:41:20 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Four Republican-led states have settled lawsuits against the federal government concerning access to citizenship data for voter registration verification as the 2024 elections approach.

Florida, Indiana, Iowa, and Ohio have agreed to a settlement with the Department of Homeland Security to access voters' citizenship data through enhanced verification programs. This agreement arises from complaints that the previous administration withheld essential information. The settlement could influence the upcoming midterm elections as voting rights groups raise concerns about the potential for eligible voters to be purged from lists.

DES MOINES, Iowa - In a significant agreement, four Republican-led states have settled lawsuits against the federal government regarding access to critical citizenship data necessary for voter registration verification. This development occurs in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential elections, marking a resolution to a dispute that started with the Biden administration a year prior.

The states of Florida, Indiana, Iowa, and Ohio reached a settlement with the Department of Homeland Security, claiming that previous information withholding hindered their ability to confirm the citizenship status of thousands of registered voters.

With this settlement, the states will gain enhanced processing capabilities, permitting searches for multiple voters simultaneously using personal identifiers like names, birthdays, and Social Security numbers through the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program, which has reportedly undergone improvements since the Trump administration.

As part of the agreement, there will be an information-sharing component allowing these states to provide their driver's license records to assist in the modernization of the Department of Homeland Security's database.

This information exchange is likely to become a significant aspect of the upcoming 2026 midterm elections. Voting rights advocates have already filed opposing action against the administration's program updates, asserting that they may lead to the unlawful removal of eligible voters from registration lists.

Historically, voting by noncitizens is illegal in federal elections, with potential legal consequences. Despite claims by previous administrations regarding noncitizen voting, evidence suggests such occurrences are rare.

Amidst the ongoing discussions, the SAVE program—operated by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services—has been utilized for decades by local officials who verify citizenship for public benefits. With recent updates, election officials can verify citizenship status for multiple cases without needing specific DHS identification numbers, further enhancing electoral integrity measures.

The states will formalize this cooperation through a memorandum of understanding within the next three months, which aims to refine the usage of the SAVE system and includes commitments to provide random driver’s license records to the DHS as part of this initiative.