The Supreme Court on Sept. 25 allowed limited, individual searches of DHS’s SAVE citizenship database, but officials say the late timing and guidance against major roll changes make it unlikely to affect the Nov. 3 midterms. Courts have repeatedly questioned SAVE’s reliability, and local election directors report many flagged names are newly naturalized citizens. Federal prosecutors announced 10 indictments in Minnesota, but experts stress careful, case-by-case verification to avoid wrongful removals.
Officials: Supreme Court’s Restoration Of SAVE Database Unlikely To Change Nov. 3 Midterms
The interior of the American Airlines Center is seen on the first day of the2026 Republican National Conventionon Sept. 9, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. Republicans are kicking off two days of political pageantry aimed at blunting Democrats' momentum in the battle for control of Congress, holding their first-ever midterm election convention ‒ headlined tonight byPresident Donald Trump‒ in a bid to boost GOP enthusiasm amid warning signs for the party. Trump is rallying Republicans for the final push toward the Nov. 3 election with a big show in the Lone Star State featuring a long list of party leaders and candidates in swing districts.The president's approval rating has sagged as the Iran war drags on and cost-of-living concerns remain top of mind for many voters, threatening to weigh down GOP candidates. Trump has turned to the mini-convention toprovide a boostas the party struggles to sell his second-term agenda.(Brandon Bell, Getty Images)
WASHINGTON — Election officials in several of the nation’s largest counties say the Supreme Court’s Sept. 25 order restoring limited state access to the Department of Homeland Security’s Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database is unlikely to materially affect the Nov. 3 midterm elections because it arrived too close to Election Day.
Signage is seen on the first day of the 2026 Republican National Convention at the American Airlines Center on Sept. 9, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. President Donald Trump will headline the Republican National Committee's first-ever midterm convention as he aims to highlight his administration’s achievements and rally support for GOP candidates just two months before the upcoming elections being held on November 3.(Brandon Bell, Getty Images)
The court’s decision allows states to resume targeted searches of the SAVE system for specific named voters after the database had been blocked in June. It did not authorize broad, wholesale changes to state voter rolls, and federal guidance discourages major alterations to registration lists in the weeks immediately preceding an election.
Inside the American Airlines Center, as the final preparations are underway for the Republican National Midterm Convention in Dallas, Texas on Sept. 8, 2026.(Brian Snyder, REUTERS)
Officials Say Timing Limits Impact
“Restarting it now, from our expert view, it does not look to have much impact on this election,” Aaron Blacksberg, federal policy counsel at the good-government group Institute for Responsive Government, told reporters Sept. 30 at the National Press Club.
A person rides a motorcycle past signage that reads "GOP EXPRESS" as the final preparations are underway for the Republican National Midterm Convention, in Dallas, Texas on Sept. 8, 2026.(Callaghan O'Hare, REUTERS)
Courts, Prosecutors and the Database
The Supreme Court action comes as the Justice Department continues litigation in dozens of federal cases seeking to allow states to compare their voter rolls against SAVE. But judges in 25 district courts and one federal appeals court have ruled against the department, finding that states — not the federal government — oversee election administration under the Constitution. Several judges have described the database as flawed or unreliable for identifying non-citizens on voter rolls.
People gather at the American Airlines Center, as preparations are underway for the Republican National Midterm Convention in Dallas, Texas on Sept. 8, 2026.(Brian Snyder, REUTERS)
Federal officials argue the SAVE system is an important tool to verify registrants’ citizenship, and on Sept. 30 prosecutors announced 10 indictments in Minnesota tied to alleged voter fraud. Still, research suggests non-citizen voting is extremely rare: the conservative Heritage Foundation documented 1,620 alleged incidents of voter fraud from 1982 through 2025 out of roughly 1.3 billion presidential-election votes during that span, with only 99 incidents involving non-citizens.
Floor staff place American flags in seats on the first day of the 2026 Republican National Convention at the American Airlines Center on Sept. 9, 2026 in Dallas, Texas.(Justin Sullivan, Getty Images)
“Election systems are robust, they are secure,” said Carolina Lopez, executive director of the Partnership for Large Election Jurisdictions, which organized the Sept. 30 news conference.
Local Officials Report Mixed Results
Officials from large counties described mixed outcomes when matching local rolls against SAVE. Eric Fey, elections director for St. Louis County, Missouri, said the state initially flagged “several hundred” voters as potential non-citizens, but local documentation showed many registered after naturalization ceremonies.
Floor staff organize signs on the first day of the 2026 Republican National Convention at the American Airlines Center on Sept. 9, 2026 in Dallas, Texas.(Justin Sullivan, Getty Images)
“We investigated all of those. The vast majority of cases we could tell that the voter’s registration card was collected at the naturalization ceremony, just by the way it was marked,” Fey said. “I think that the SAVE database can be used as a tool for the states, but it must be used responsibly moving forward.”
Vendors make preperations on the first day of the 2026 Republican National Convention at the American Airlines Center on Sept. 9, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. President Donald Trump will headline the Republican National Committee's first-ever midterm convention as he aims to highlight his administration’s achievements and rally support for GOP candidates just two months before the upcoming elections being held on November 3.(Brandon Bell, Getty Images)
Wendy Sartory Link, supervisor of elections in Palm Beach County, Florida, warned that SAVE records are often outdated and should be used carefully; newly naturalized citizens typically have a naturalization certificate or U.S. passport that proves their status.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin speaks next to Attorney General Todd Blanche during a press conference at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 30, 2026.
Michael Moore, chief information security officer for the Arizona secretary of state, said SAVE can both demonstrate citizenship and flag names for further review. Yavapai County Recorder Michelle Burchill reported that an initial match flagged 39 registrations as potential non-citizens; follow-up review found 11 non-citizens out of 187,719 registrants.
Lynette Jordan, left, and Madelyn Wright, volunteers with incoming boxes at the Board of Voter Registration and Elections of Anderson County, in downtown Anderson, South Carolina, on Aug. 25, 2026.
Election officials emphasized that SAVE is a tool for follow-up verification rather than a definitive authority for mass removals, especially close to Election Day. They urged careful, case-by-case use and thorough local investigation before taking action that could disenfranchise voters.
Note: This article summarizes official statements, recent court activity and local election reviews related to the SAVE database and its potential (or limited) role in the upcoming midterm elections.
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