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Senate approves measure to let voter portal access federal SAVE immigration data for initial verification
Summary
The Senate voted to allow the state's voter registration portal to access federal SAVE immigration-verification data during initial application review, a change supporters said will improve timing and consistency of citizenship verification (Ayes 27, Nays 6).
Legislators approved House Bill 21 85 to authorize Tennessee’s voter registration verification portal to access federal SAVE (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements) program data when the data is available via a secure web service. Supporters said the change will allow election officials to verify citizenship at the point of registration rather than only after an applicant has been added to the rolls.
Leader Johnson explained that current verification uses state and federal sources but that SAVE data is not yet integrated into the portal’s front-end registration process; if the federal data service becomes available to state election officials, this bill authorizes its use during initial application review. "This bill would allow election officials to use SAVE data, during the initial application review, aligning verification timing with the point of registration," Leader Johnson said.
Senator Ackberry asked about error rates in SAVE and whether the bill contemplates recourse for people wrongly flagged as ineligible; Leader Johnson responded that existing appeals processes in current law would remain in place and that affected individuals would have the opportunity to provide documentation to the election coordinator. The Senate passed the bill on final consideration (Ayes 27, Nays 6).
