Texas election officials are reviewing voter registration records after the state’s Secretary of State identified more than 2,700 “potential noncitizens” on the voter rolls. The review follows a statewide audit comparing Texas voter registration lists against federal immigration data, an effort that has prompted both questions and swift action at the local level.
State Review Flags 2,724 “Potential Noncitizens”
Last week, Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson announced that her office had run the state’s voter registration database through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service’s Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program — a federal database used to confirm citizenship status.
“Only eligible United States citizens may participate in our elections,” Nelson said in a statement. “The Trump Administration’s decision to give states free and direct access to this data set for the first time has been a game changer, and we appreciate the partnership with the federal government to verify the citizenship of those on our voter rolls and maintain accurate voter lists.”
According to Nelson’s office, 2,724 individuals statewide were flagged as “potential noncitizens.” The data has been sent to each county to investigate and determine voter eligibility. Any individuals determined not to be U.S. citizens who have voted in an election will be referred to the Texas Attorney General’s Office for further investigation.
Impact Across the Panhandle
In the Texas Panhandle, 15 counties were identified as having voters flagged as potential noncitizens. The numbers varied by county, with Hale County showing the most at 11, and several others — including Collingsworth, Briscoe, Hall, Dallam, and others — listing only one or two.
According to data released by the Secretary of State’s office, the breakdown for Panhandle counties includes:
Potter County: 9
Randall County: 5
Deaf Smith County: 2
Collingsworth County: 1
Parmer County: 3
Castro County: 2
Briscoe County: 1
Hall County: 1
Childress County: 3
Hemphill County: 3
Hutchinson County: 5
Dallam County: 1
Ochiltree County: 2
Lipscomb County: 2
Hale County: 11
Local election administrators are now required by law to send written notices to each of these individuals to confirm their citizenship status. Each has 30 days to respond and provide proof of citizenship before their voter registration is canceled.
County Officials Begin Review
In Potter County, Elections Administrator Christy Benge said her office received the file from the state late Thursday — just three days before early voting began for the November election.
“They did send us a file on Thursday,” Benge said. “There were nine noncitizen names within that file. We also received a file for 400 deceased. We are currently working on both lists.”
Benge said her office immediately began the verification process required by state law.
“State law does require us to send each noncitizen a notice to confirm their citizenship status,” she said. “They have 30 days to confirm citizenship status, and after 30 days, if they don’t confirm or don’t respond at all, then their registration will be canceled.”
Benge said she was surprised to receive the list of potential noncitizens, noting that such cases have been extremely rare in her experience.
“Maybe once in the last ten years we had come across one noncitizen, but I was surprised we had any,” she said. “I was definitely surprised I had a file with over 400 deceased voter names in it, but we are actively working that file as well.”
Randall County Investigates Five Cases
Just south of Potter County, Randall County Elections Administrator Shannon Lackey said her office was notified of five individuals flagged as potential noncitizens. Through early review, she found that one case was the result of a clerical error.
“Through our investigation, one of them was registered in error by a former staff member, so they were immediately canceled,” Lackey explained. “That person actually checked ‘no’ on their voter registration, and just through human error, they were registered.”
Lackey emphasized that the individual never voted and that the remaining four were sent formal notices prescribed by the Secretary of State’s office. If those individuals fail to respond within 30 days, their registrations will also be canceled.
“We would then have a conversation with our district attorney’s office and see if any further action needed to be provided,” Lackey said.
She stressed that while the total represents a tiny fraction of the county’s more than 100,000 registered voters, ensuring accurate voter rolls is vital to maintaining public confidence.
“It is extremely important to all of us,” Lackey said. “Not only does it undermine the election process, it undermines voter confidence. And those of us that do this around the state work daily to ensure voter confidence.”
Cleaning Up the Rolls
Lackey noted that the five flagged records make up just 0.004 percent of the county’s voter roll — but even one error, she said, is too many.
“Again, that’s too many,” she said. “We want this cleaned up. Now, because the Secretary of State does have access to the SAVE database, that’s where all this information has come from. This is all information that none of us have ever had access to until now. One of these voters has been registered since 2009. This isn’t a new surge, per se. We are just actively working to follow the law.”
Lackey also noted that all four individuals could ultimately be proven citizens if they provide proper documentation.
Separately, Randall County received a file identifying around 500 deceased individuals still listed on the county’s voter rolls.
“Probably a third of those we had already canceled, but there were several on there that we had to go in and cancel before early voting began on Monday morning,” Lackey said. “Every name that was on that list has been processed for Randall County and removed from the voter rolls.”
Addressing Deceased Voters on the Rolls
Both Benge and Lackey said that receiving large lists of deceased voters just before early voting posed challenges. Lackey explained that voter registration records are not automatically updated when a death occurs.
“I realize that when someone passes away, there’s so many things that you have to do,” she said. “Canceling voter registration is not high up on a checklist, but unless we get notification from the state or the city in which the death occurred, we can’t just automatically cancel someone.”
Benge said Potter County is also still processing its list of deceased voters and working to ensure those names are removed before Election Day.
Investigations Could Lead to Legal Action
According to the Secretary of State’s office, any individual determined to be a noncitizen who voted in a Texas election will be referred to the Office of the Attorney General. In an earlier phase of the state’s review, 33 individuals were referred to the Attorney General in June for potential illegal voting tied to the November 2024 election.
Both Benge and Lackey said it is not yet clear whether any of the individuals in their counties cast ballots illegally. If any such evidence emerges, it would be referred to the appropriate prosecuting authority.
Voter Verification Process and Protections
Under the Texas Election Code, voters flagged as potential noncitizens have 30 days to provide proof of citizenship after being notified. If they fail to respond, their registration is canceled. However, anyone who can later provide proof of citizenship can have their registration reinstated immediately, either at their local elections office or a polling place.
Lackey said that if an individual flagged in error shows up to vote, they will be offered a provisional ballot.
“They will be asked to fill out a provisional ballot, allowing the office an additional six days to process the information until everything can be verified,” she said. “Then the ballot can be submitted.”
Challenges with the New Election Management System
The recent review comes as local election offices continue to navigate changes in the state’s election management software, known as the Texas Elections Administration Management System (TEAMS). Implemented in July, TEAMS has faced technical and administrative challenges that have affected counties statewide.
On October 17, Lackey — who also serves as President of the Texas Association of County Elections Officials — joined representatives from several statewide associations in sending a letter to the Secretary of State’s office outlining shared concerns about the system. The letter, signed by officials representing county clerks, tax assessors, and commissioners, cited inconsistent system behavior, training gaps, and limited support resources.
The groups recommended that the state implement a “stabilization and audit plan” and bolster support services to help local election administrators address issues during critical voting periods.
Looking Ahead
Both Benge and Lackey said that ensuring voter roll accuracy remains a top priority as early voting continues. Each emphasized that while the number of “potential noncitizens” identified is small, maintaining clean and accurate records is essential to preserving trust in the election process.
Lackey said that the new access to federal verification data, combined with the ongoing cleanup of deceased voter records, represents an important step toward strengthening the integrity of Texas elections.
“Even though I have four [potential noncitizens] that are registered, that’s not acceptable to me as a voter registrar,” Lackey said. “It’s four out of over 100,000 voters, so we’re still not talking about this enormous number. Again, I’m not okay with it. I don’t want to try to say that, ‘Oh, it’s just a few, so it doesn’t really matter.’ It does matter. It matters greatly to me. Not only does it affect what we do daily, it also can undermine voter confidence. And I work very hard to build voter confidence, so it is concerning to me.”
Benge echoed that sentiment, saying that while the findings were unexpected, the process of reviewing and confirming voter eligibility is a critical part of upholding fair elections.
