Secretary of State tells committee SAVE checks flagged 42 possible non‑citizen voters; initial mailings were far larger
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Summary
Secretary Hargett said SAVE database matches initially produced a large notification list but after follow‑up the department identified 42 potential non‑citizen voting cases that were referred to the FBI for investigation; committee members questioned the scope of initial mailings and the confirmatory process.
During a Feb. 10 Senate Finance committee hearing Secretary of State Hargett and staff described their review of potential non‑citizen registrations identified via the SAVE (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements) check and the department’s subsequent actions.
Secretary Hargett described a multi‑step review process: the department compared registered voters to the SAVE database, sent notices and followed up through other data sources (including the Department of Safety), and pursued confirmations before referring any cases to law enforcement. He said the initial bulk notice effort mailed roughly 14,000 letters to people whose status required review; after follow up and additional data checks the department identified 42 cases that were turned over to the FBI for investigation. The secretary said the department does not make referrals lightly and works to confirm citizenship status through all available avenues before turning matters over to authorities.
Committee members pressed the secretary on process and scale. One senator said sending letters to thousands of voters that could imply non‑citizen status risked troubling consequences and urged caution; the secretary and staff acknowledged the concern, explained efforts to reduce false positives (including additional database matches and leveraging Department of Safety records), and stressed that many recipients of the initial letters later confirmed they were citizens. Staff described SAVE as improved over earlier processes and said fixes for ‘derived citizen’ cases reduced false matches.
Secretary staff said the results are now narrowed and the FBI is investigating the 42 referrals. Staff also described prior outreach from the department—mailings in the previous year and a notice process that allows recipients 30 days to respond and provide proof of citizenship.
The committee’s questioning underscored sensitivity about mass mailings that could alarm voters and reinforced members’ interest in both accurate voter rolls and careful procedures before making criminal referrals. The department said it would continue follow‑up and that the checks have produced actionable information while acknowledging the need to minimize errors in the outreach process.