Election Security Partnership (S. 4659)

Summary

Provides extra money to states for election security if they share voter lists with the Department of Homeland Security to find non-citizens.

What problem does this solve?

Concerns exist that non-citizens may be registered to vote, potentially compromising election integrity. This bill offers states extra funding to share voter lists with a federal system to identify and remove non-citizens.

What does this bill do?

Additional funding for election security

Sets aside $20,000,000 for states to improve election security and technology, but only if they meet certain conditions.

Requires sharing voter lists with Homeland Security

To get the funds, states must agree to give their full list of registered voters to the Department of Homeland Security.

Uses SAVE system to check for non-citizens

The Department of Homeland Security will use its Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system to check if any registered voters are not U.S. citizens.

Sets a cap on extra funding

The extra money a state can receive is limited to 10 percent of the amount it got from the main 2026 election security grant program.

Mandates quarterly data sharing

States that agree to the plan must provide their updated voter lists to the federal government at least every three months.

Who does this affect?

State governments
Registered voters
Non-citizen residents

What is the real world impact?

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Enhances election security

Provides a way for states to use federal resources to check their voter rolls for non-citizens, which helps ensure only eligible people are voting.

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Raises data privacy concerns

Requires states to hand over their complete voter lists to a federal agency. This could lead to a national voter database and raise privacy concerns for citizens whose information is shared.

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Risks incorrect voter purges

Using a system designed for benefits verification (SAVE) to check voter rolls could lead to errors, potentially flagging eligible citizens and causing them to be wrongly removed from voting lists.

When does this start?

The bill's provisions would apply once it becomes law, with specific requirements for sharing data beginning after September 30, 2026.

Quarterly Voter Data Sharing

Starting after September 30, 2026, participating states must provide their complete voter registration list to the Secretary of Homeland Security at least every three months.