Supreme Court Revives Voter Citizenship Database Ahead of Elections

Why it matters locally: The Supreme Court's decision to allow the use of the SAVE database for voter roll review could directly impact how North Carolina counties maintain their voter registration lists, potentially leading to increased scrutiny of registered voters' citizenship status.

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court has allowed the use of a federal database for reviewing state voter rolls. This decision enables the Trump administration to proceed with its request to utilize the Department of Homeland Security's Systemic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database. The SAVE database contains records of individuals' immigration status. The administration aims to use this system to identify noncitizens listed on state voter registration rolls. Jessica Huseman of Votebeat provided context on the development. The court's action occurred weeks before the midterm elections.