Republican States Reach Settlement Over Voter Citizenship Data

Wed Dec 03 2025 05:42:47 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a landmark agreement, four Republican-led states have settled lawsuits with the federal government concerning access to voter citizenship data, potentially reshaping electoral dynamics leading up to the 2026 midterm elections.

Florida, Indiana, Iowa, and Ohio entered a settlement with the Department of Homeland Security to access voter citizenship data, enabling searches for eligible voters through updated federal systems. This agreement arrives amid legal challenges and concerns over voter rights and possible election manipulation as noncitizen voting remains a contentious issue leading to the upcoming elections.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Four Republican-led states have come to a historic agreement with the federal government, settling lawsuits regarding access to voters' citizenship data, thus concluding a dispute that emerged with the Biden administration ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Florida, Indiana, Iowa, and Ohio reached this settlement with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Secretary Kristi Noem approximately one year after filing their individual lawsuits. These states asserted that the previous administration was withholding essential information on citizenship status needed to ascertain whether numerous registered voters were indeed eligible to vote.

Under the settlement, these states are now empowered to conduct searches for thousands of voters using their names, birthdays, and Social Security numbers through the upgraded Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program, significantly enhanced during the Trump administration. Furthermore, it allows states to share driver’s license records with DHS to assist in updating and modernizing its database.

The new information-sharing framework is expected to become a central topic in the 2026 midterm elections. Voting rights advocates have raised alarms, already suing the administration over potential unlawful purges of eligible voters from voter lists due to the expanded SAVE program. Additionally, the Department of Justice under Trump has sought complete voter rolls from at least half the states, a request met with skepticism from Democratic election officials concerned about data being transmitted to DHS.

Voting by noncitizens is illegal in federal elections and poses severe legal ramifications, including felony charges. Yet, analyses indicate that instances of noncitizens registering to vote are infrequent, and it is even rarer for these individuals to cast ballots.

This settlement signifies an essential shift in how states may approach verifying voter eligibility, prompting discussions about voter integrity and rights as both parties gear up for the 2024 and 2026 elections.