North Carolina will begin removing noncitizens from voter registration rolls using a federal immigration database, marking a significant enforcement action to ensure only eligible Americans cast ballots in state elections.
Federal Database Targets Illegal Registrations
The State Board of Elections announced Thursday it will submit voter information to the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements database, known as SAVE, operated by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The system will receive names, dates of birth, and partial Social Security numbers of registered voters to verify citizenship status. Executive Director Sam Hayes said the initiative represents another tool to improve voter roll accuracy and protect election integrity across the state’s 7.7 million registered voters.
North Carolina’s constitution explicitly restricts voting to United States citizens, making noncitizen registration a felony offense. Hayes emphasized that necessary precautions will ensure no eligible voters face removal during the verification process. The board acknowledged no evidence of widespread noncitizen voting exists, though officials committed to maintaining accurate registration lists. The ninth-largest state in the country continues expanding verification measures to address constitutional requirements and voter eligibility standards.
2016 Audit Revealed Illegal Votes Cast
A post-election audit of the 2016 general election uncovered 41 ineligible noncitizens who cast ballots despite holding legal status like green cards. The discovery came after nearly 4.8 million total votes were counted statewide. Hayes’ office reported some violations stem from mistaken interpretation of eligibility rules rather than intentional fraud. One example involved a woman over 70 years old who lived in the United States more than 50 years. She incorrectly believed marriage to an American citizen granted her voting rights, illustrating how confusion about naturalization requirements leads to illegal registration.
What This Means for Election Integrity
The SAVE database partnership represents North Carolina’s commitment to enforcing constitutional voting restrictions through federal cooperation. While officials downplay the scope of noncitizen voting, the 2016 audit demonstrated illegal ballots do reach ballot boxes even among legal residents. The verification system aims to prevent future violations while educating immigrants about citizenship requirements for voting participation. As states nationwide examine voter roll accuracy, North Carolina’s federal database initiative could serve as a model for identifying ineligible registrations before elections occur rather than discovering violations afterward.