Overview

• Attorney General Ken Paxton opened investigations into 33 individuals flagged as possible noncitizens who may have cast ballots in last November’s general election.
• Secretary of State Jane Nelson referred the cases after her office gained free access to the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements database in March.
• The SAVE system, maintained by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, verifies immigration status for applicants seeking benefits or licenses.
• Texas legislators recently failed to advance a bill requiring documentary proof of citizenship, prompting plans for a constitutional amendment to reaffirm voter eligibility.
• Republican officials describe the probe as vital to election integrity, while voting rights advocates warn that stringent verification could disenfranchise lawful voters.