Texas election officials have referred 117 cases to the attorney general’s office for investigation of potential noncitizen voting, according to Texas Scorecard. The referrals are part of a continuing voter-roll review ahead of the November election.
The review began last year when the Texas secretary of state’s office checked more than 18 million registered voters through the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements database, commonly known as SAVE. That initial comparison identified 2,724 registered voters as potential noncitizens, and state officials sent those registrations to county election offices for additional review.
The initial database flag was not a final determination of citizenship or illegal voting. Texas Scorecard reported that 578 of the flagged voters have since demonstrated U.S. citizenship. That number includes 506 voters whose passport information was added to the federal database after the original comparison.
The secretary of state’s office and the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted further reviews before the latest referrals. According to the state update cited by Texas Scorecard, the 117 cases have now been forwarded to the attorney general for investigation.
A referral does not establish that a person is a noncitizen, cast an illegal ballot or committed a crime. The attorney general’s office must evaluate the underlying records and determine whether further action is warranted. The reported citizenship confirmations among other flagged voters also illustrate why an initial database match requires verification before it is treated as an enforcement finding.
Secretary of State Robert Howden said the state must ensure that only eligible voters participate while also protecting the voting rights of eligible citizens. Advocacy figures quoted by Texas Scorecard praised the referrals as an election-integrity measure; those comments represent their positions rather than investigative findings.
The public-integrity significance lies in both sides of the process. Texas has an obligation to investigate credible evidence of ineligible registration or voting, but it must also use accurate records and provide safeguards for citizens who may be incorrectly flagged. The number and disposition of any confirmed cases will determine whether the review identifies actual violations or primarily resolves incomplete federal records.
With a statewide election approaching, transparent reporting on how the 117 referrals are resolved will be important. Public confidence depends not only on identifying unlawful voting when it occurs, but also on distinguishing verified violations from preliminary database matches and protecting eligible Texans from wrongful removal or accusation.