The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has asked North Carolina’s State Board of Elections to upload as many as a million voter records at a time into the federal “SAVE” database, a system normally used to verify eligibility for government benefits. The request, promoted by the Trump administration as a new way to check voter eligibility, would mark the first time North Carolina has considered turning over its entire voter list for this purpose.

But experts — including North Carolina’s own elections officials in past audits — have warned that SAVE is not designed to determine voter eligibility. In a 2016 audit, the State Board of Elections concluded that a match with SAVE was “not a reliable indicator that a person is not a U.S. citizen.” Naturalized citizens, adopted citizens, and others often appear incorrectly as noncitizens due to outdated or incomplete records.

Feeding millions of North Carolina voter names into this system could result in eligible voters being flagged incorrectly. Those voters might be forced to prove their citizenship after the fact or face delays and unnecessary challenges to their right to vote. Past reviews in other states have shown that these errors can disproportionately affect naturalized citizens, creating confusion and mistrust.

Supporters of the plan argue it will strengthen election integrity. But national studies — including analyses from both conservative and liberal organizations — have consistently found that noncitizen voting is exceedingly rare. North Carolina’s own 2016 audit identified only 41 cases out of millions of ballots cast.

What is at stake here is not just data management but the voting rights of thousands of North Carolinians. Using an unreliable system for voter verification risks creating false accusations of fraud and could undermine confidence in elections rather than strengthening it.

We call on Governor Roy Cooper, the North Carolina State Board of Elections, and legislative leaders to reject DHS’s request and keep North Carolina’s voter rolls out of the SAVE database. Protecting elections means making sure every eligible citizen’s voice is counted — not silenced.

Add your name to urge North Carolina leaders to protect the integrity of our voter rolls and the rights of eligible voters.