MONTGOMERY, AL – Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen has entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (DHS-USCIS), enabling Alabama to access the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program. The agreement allows the state to use SAVE to verify the citizenship status of individuals currently registered to vote and those submitting new voter registration applications.
The Secretary of State’s Office plans to implement the system as an additional measure to prevent noncitizens from being registered to vote in Alabama elections.
“I have been very clear that only United States citizens should be voting in our elections, which is what our Constitution, state and federal law unequivocally demand,” said Secretary Allen. “My Office plans to begin using SAVE to verify the citizenship status of registered voters in Alabama and all incoming voter registrations in the immediate future.”
Secretary Allen described the implementation of SAVE as a key step in preserving the integrity of elections in the state. He also credited his staff and officials within DHS-USCIS for the work that led to finalizing the MOA.
The SAVE program is a federally managed system that provides government agencies access to immigration status information to assist in determining eligibility for public benefits or services, including voting eligibility in states where permitted by law.
Alabama law requires voters to be U.S. citizens, and the use of SAVE will add another layer to existing verification processes already conducted by the state.
