The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has given the green light to a new initiative aimed at assisting states in confirming that registered voters are U.S. citizens. This plan also involves overseeing the flow of mail ballots to spot any potential voter fraud, aligning with a key component of President Donald Trump’s focus on election integrity.
According to a court document filed on Friday, the department approved this initiative last Thursday, with the program poised to kick off by the end of June.
This plan allows states to cross-check their complete voter registration lists against a federal immigration database to verify citizenship and eligibility to vote. Additionally, state election authorities would gain secure access to citizenship data from federal bodies such as the Social Security Administration and the State Department.
Furthermore, the DHS intends to partner with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to keep an eye on mail-in and absentee ballots. This collaboration aims to identify unusual patterns, detect possible fraud, and develop leads for investigations, as outlined in the court filings.
The filing states, “DHS contemplates working with the United States Postal Service (USPS) … to monitor mail-in and absentee ballot flows, identify anomalies that may suggest voter fraud or misuse, and generate authorized investigative leads.”
