Abbott Vows Action After Probe Findings

A sweeping election integrity review in Texas has uncovered more than 2,700 suspected noncitizens registered to vote, according to a bombshell announcement from Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson on Monday. The findings, the result of a first-of-its-kind cross-check with federal immigration records, mark a major escalation in the state’s push to root out ineligible voters ahead of the 2026 election cycle—and bolster claims long made by conservatives that voter rolls across the country are riddled with inaccuracies.

The cross-check, conducted against the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ SAVE (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements) database, flagged 2,724 individuals statewide whose citizenship status could not be verified. That data has now been handed off to all 254 counties for mandatory eligibility reviews, as outlined under Chapter 16 of the Texas Election Code.

“Only eligible United States citizens may participate in our elections,” Nelson said, calling access to the federal database a “game changer” that has transformed the way Texas verifies voter eligibility. “We appreciate the partnership with the federal government to verify the citizenship of those on our voter rolls and maintain accurate voter lists.”

Each individual identified in the sweep will receive a notice from their county registrar giving them 30 days to provide proof of citizenship. If no response is received, their voter registration will be canceled. Those who are confirmed to be noncitizens and who voted in previous elections will be referred to the Texas Attorney General for investigation and possible prosecution.

Governor Greg Abbott praised the review, citing it as a product of Senate Bill 1, Texas’s sweeping 2021 election reform law. “These reforms have led to the removal of over one million ineligible people from our voter rolls in the last three years,” Abbott said Monday. “That includes noncitizens, deceased voters, and people who moved to another state. Illegal voting in Texas will never be tolerated.”

The data confirms what many state-level officials have feared for years: outdated and inaccurate voter rolls can be exploited, intentionally or not, and correcting them requires both legislative muscle and technological tools. According to the secretary of state’s office, the new SAVE database access—granted during the Trump administration—is already proving to be one of the most accurate tools for verifying citizenship status in real time.

The counties with the highest number of flagged registrations are among the most populous:

• Harris County (Houston): 362 flagged

• Dallas County: 277 flagged

• Bexar County (San Antonio): 201 flagged

• El Paso County: 165 flagged

Smaller counties saw lower numbers, with many reporting fewer than 10.

The announcement follows a June referral of 33 potential noncitizens who allegedly voted in the November 2024 General Election. That case is still under investigation by the Attorney General’s office. Nelson emphasized that the SAVE database not only helps identify noncitizens but has also confirmed the naturalization of dozens of eligible voters—providing clarity where it’s needed most.

Texas is also among the first states to participate in a federal pilot program, in cooperation with DHS, USCIS, and DOJ, to enhance the SAVE database's precision and usability. The long-term goal is to institutionalize periodic cross-checks that ensure voter rolls remain accurate not just before big elections, but continuously.

“This may be the most current and accurate data set there is when it comes to citizenship verification,” Nelson said. “The SAVE database has proven to be critically important and is one of many tools we will continue to use to ensure that only qualified voters cast a ballot in our elections.”