Pennsylvania Secretary of State Requests Methodology Behind DHS Noncitizen Voter Claim

Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Thursday, asking the department to provide the data sources, dates and methodology that led to a claim that 14,576 noncitizens are registered to vote in the state. Schmidt said the state will not take any action that could remove eligible voters or compromise privacy until the information is substantiated.

The request follows a DHS notice that a “preliminary review” of public registration records found the alleged noncitizen registrations. Schmidt noted that DHS has not disclosed how the figure was calculated and cited previous concerns about the accuracy of the SAVE database, which the agency uses to verify citizenship status. He referenced an audit by the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General that found errors in the database and cited court rulings that questioned the legality of the modified SAVE system.

Earlier this month, after President Donald Trump reiterated election-related grievances in a national address, Mullin said DHS had identified 250,000 noncitizen registrations across four states, including Pennsylvania, but offered no details on how the total was derived. Mullin also warned that states that do not cooperate with the federal voter-roll effort could face fines, penalties or criminal charges if noncitizens were found to have voted.