Wisconsin Elections Commission Bars Clerks from Using Federal SAVE System for Citizenship Checks

The Wisconsin Elections Commission on October 16 ruled that the state’s roughly 1,800 municipal clerks are prohibited from using the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database to check the citizenship status of registered voters. The bipartisan panel cited state law that prohibits election officials from disclosing voters’ personally identifiable information, making use of the system as currently constructed impossible.

The decision follows a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allowed states greater access to the revamped federal database for voter-roll checks. Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe said clerks have been receiving numerous inquiries and that the guidance is contingency planning. Republican Commissioner Bob Spindell cast the sole vote against related guidance on federal law-enforcement presence at polls, arguing it could scare voters.

Wisconsin law relies primarily on a voter’s sworn attestation of citizenship at registration. Making a false claim of citizenship is a felony. The commission has previously noted that state law does not provide a systematic process for verifying citizenship beyond that attestation. Chairman Don Millis has outlined statutory changes that would be required if the legislature wants to authorize SAVE use, including explicit authorization for data sharing and standards for ineligibility.

The ruling comes weeks before Wisconsin’s November 3 election, which features a competitive race for governor. Early voting is already underway in the state. Federal law restricts large-scale voter-roll purges close to an election.