Indiana Secretary Signs Agreement to Verify Voter Citizenship with Federal DHS Data

Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales has signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (DHS-USCIS), granting the state access to the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) data to verify the citizenship status of individuals on Indiana’s voter rolls. This federal tool enables election officials to cross-reference voter registration information with federal immigration data, aiming to ensure that only eligible U.S. citizens are registered and to protect election integrity. Voters flagged by the system whose citizenship cannot be confirmed by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles will be notified by mail and given an opportunity to confirm their citizenship status as outlined in House Enrolled Act 1264 (2024). Morales, a naturalized citizen from Guatemala, emphasized that this effort is about safeguarding the rights of eligible voters and maintaining trust in election security, not about politics. The agreement follows a previous request by Morales and Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita to access SAVE data, which was initially denied under the Biden administration but is now possible after the system was revamped to allow mass checks. Voting rights advocates have expressed concerns that the large-scale use of SAVE could inadvertently flag some naturalized citizens, highlighting ongoing debates about the process.