Georgia Prevents Noncitizen Voting While Minimizing Red Tape for Americans
The Peach State achieves the same goal of the SAVE America Act of preventing noncitizen voting — while imposing much less red tape on eligible American voters.
Congressional Republicans are once again making a push for federal legislation that would require all Americans to present documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote and photo ID when casting a ballot. While both of these policies are enormously popular with the public, the SAVE America Act faces significant opposition from Democrats on Capitol Hill. The bill narrowly passed the House of Representatives on Feb. 11 and faces an uphill climb in the Senate.
Supporters argue that stricter ID and citizenship verification laws are necessary to prevent voter fraud and restore trust in elections, while opponents counter that millions of eligible American voters could be disenfranchised if they cannot produce the documents required to prove their eligibility. Both sides likely overstate the impacts; however, the SAVE America Act indisputably creates a new administrative step for eligible Americans at registration (and at the polls in states that do not currently require photo ID). The SAVE America Act may ultimately pass, but if it fails, Republicans should look closely at Georgia’s approach to citizenship verification, which achieves the same goal of preventing noncitizen voting while imposing much less red tape on eligible American voters.
Georgia’s citizenship verification process consists of three main components working together to prevent most noncitizen registrations and to identify and remove any noncitizens who make it onto the voter rolls. The foundation of the system is the automated data sharing that occurs between the Secretary of State (SOS) and the Department of Driver Services (DDS). If a voter registers while obtaining or updating a driver’s license, the DDS has immediate access to the documents used and can automatically provide that information to SOS for the purpose of determining voting eligibility.
Similarly, applicants who register to vote by mail or online provide their previously issued Georgia driver’s license or state ID number. In cases where the individual provided proof of citizenship when originally obtaining the license or ID, DDS can share that information with the SOS in real time. This data sharing across agencies allows Georgia to confirm citizenship without requiring individuals to present the same document at different times to multiple state agencies.
The second component of Georgia’s approach deals with individuals whose citizenship cannot be verified through the initial DDS data check. True ineligibility is one reason this might happen; however, other examples include individuals who obtained their license or ID as a green card holder before becoming a naturalized citizen, and new Georgia residents who submitted a voter registration form before obtaining a Georgia license or ID. In these cases, local election officials request documentary proof of citizenship from the individual while the SOS proactively utilizes the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system administered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to check for a recorded change in citizenship status. If the SAVE check identifies the individual as a citizen, then their registration is automatically updated to reflect that change without the need for further action. If SAVE does not confirm citizenship (and the individual does not provide the required proof), then their registration will not be processed.
The third and final component is periodically conducting citizenship audits of the voter rolls and publicizing the results. By cross-referencing Georgia’s voter registration list with DDS data and the federal SAVE data system, reviewers are able to identify noncitizens who somehow made it onto the rolls. The most recent audit conducted before the 2024 election identified and removed 20 noncitizens among 8.2 million registered voters. Another 156 individuals required further investigation; however, this is still a tiny fraction of the state’s voting population.
Georgia’s approach clearly shows that citizenship can be verified in a manner that successfully prevents widespread noncitizen registration and voting without overly burdening eligible Americans. Effective collaboration across agencies is essential for state officials looking to adopt a similar approach and may require some investment in technology to facilitate the seamless transfer of data. Although it is reasonable for Congress to require more robust citizenship verification procedures in the states, the SAVE America Act’s one-size-fits-all approach is overly cumbersome and provides a large target for opponents to attack the policy.
Lawmakers will need alternative ideas for addressing concerns about noncitizen voting if the SAVE America Act should fail, and the Peach State is a great place to start.
Chris McIsaac is a Resident Fellow, Governance, at the R Street Institute, where he prepares research and analysis on electoral reform and budget policy.