"The Department of Homeland Security says the revamped system can help enforce laws that only U.S. citizens can vote in federal elections, although experts worry that it threatens Americans' privacy and could potentially disenfranchise legitimate voters. New DHS regulatory documents detail how the network gathers information from various government datasets, including passport records, driver's license databases and Social Security files."
"Since then, DHS connected Social Security numbers to the system - called SAVE, or the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements. It has also enabled bulk searches and eliminated fees for state and local agencies. Over 46 million voters have been run through SAVE, and 26 states are using or are planning to use it for voter verification, DHS said in early November."
"but there is no evidence of large numbers of non-citizens widely voting in American elections - it's something that only happens in "vanishingly small numbers," research has found. Louisiana only found 390 suspected non-citizens on its voter rolls after running them through SAVE. Those people could have also been flagged due to errors or bad information, the state's top election official has said."
DHS has overhauled the SAVE system to create a searchable citizenship verification network that aggregates passport, driver's license and Social Security data. The system now links Social Security numbers, supports bulk searches, and waives fees for state and local agencies. DHS reports over 46 million voters have been checked and 26 states are using or plan to use SAVE for voter verification. The system's stated aim includes enforcing laws that restrict federal election voting to U.S. citizens. Experts warn that the system poses privacy risks and could wrongly flag or disenfranchise legitimate voters; evidence of widespread noncitizen voting remains vanishingly small.
Read at Nextgov.com
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