USCIS upgrades voter verification system to prevent non-citizens from voting, eliminate voter fraud

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has expanded its Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program, allowing states to verify voter eligibility using only the last four digits of an individual’s Social Security number instead of the full nine digits.

The upgrade, announced this week, aims to help states ensure that only U.S. citizens are registered to vote in federal elections. According to USCIS, the change is part of its broader effort to enhance election integrity and make the verification process more efficient for state agencies.

“USCIS remains dedicated to eliminating barriers to securing the nation’s electoral process,” said USCIS spokesman Matthew Tragesser. “By allowing states to efficiently verify voter eligibility, we are reinforcing the principle that America’s elections are reserved exclusively for American citizens. We encourage all federal, state, and local agencies to use the SAVE program.”

The system upgrade supports Executive Order 14248, Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections, enabling registered user agencies, particularly those responsible for voter rolls, to create SAVE cases without needing a Department of Homeland Security identifier or a full Social Security number.

USCIS data shows that SAVE Optimisation has already enabled state voting agencies to submit over 46 million voter verification queries, while federal agencies have submitted more than 110 million to confirm eligibility for federally funded benefits. Combined with new status verifications for benefit requests, the system has processed over 205 million queries as of October 2025, up from 25 million in all of 2024.

Currently, 26 states have established or are in the process of signing a memorandum of agreement with the SAVE program for voter verification. Officials say the expansion of SAVE’s capabilities marks another step toward improving public confidence in the nation’s electoral systems.

Government authorities have encouraged wider adoption, noting that “all states should be committed to eliminating voter fraud and restoring faith in America’s elections.”

The latest enhancement underscores the Biden administration’s focus on balancing access and security within the election process while modernising federal verification systems to prevent misuse and ensure transparency across state voter databases.