South Carolina Election Commission Strengthens Citizen-Only Voting Enforcement with New Federal Verification Tools

COLUMBIA, S.C. (May 20, 2025) – Following the 2024 voter-approved amendment to the South Carolina Constitution affirming that only U.S. citizens may vote, the South Carolina State Election Commission (SEC) is taking new steps to strengthen the integrity of the state’s voter rolls, supported by a renewed federal commitment to modernize verification tools that will assist the state in fulfilling that responsibility.

The constitutional amendment reflects a long-standing and widely shared belief: voting is a fundamental right reserved for U.S. citizens. To enforce this mandate, the SEC first submitted a request to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in August 2024 seeking assistance verifying the citizenship status of newly registered voters. That initial request was denied in October 2024.

Following a change in federal administration and renewed momentum around election integrity, the SEC submitted a second formal request to USCIS in early 2025. In response, the federal government announced new enhancements to the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program under Executive Order 14248, “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections.”

The updates include a revamped tool that allows authorized state agencies to verify the citizenship status of voter registration applicants. Access is limited to agencies that have a Memorandum of Agreement with the SAVE program and legal authority to perform such checks. Notably, states will no longer be charged transaction fees for voter registration or voter list maintenance cases, a key change that makes participation more accessible, especially for smaller agencies.

“South Carolina voters overwhelmingly approved this amendment to ensure that only eligible citizens have a say in our elections,” said Howard Knapp, Executive Director of the SEC. “We are encouraged that federal agencies are now responding to that directive and providing the tools we need to enforce it responsibly and lawfully.”

The enhanced SAVE system will initially rely on Alien Numbers and/or Certificate of Citizenship or Naturalization Numbers, with future updates allowing the use of additional identifiers such as Social Security Numbers. Federal guidance also outlines a fair and transparent process for individuals whose status cannot be initially verified, ensuring due process protections while maintaining election integrity.

The Commission’s actions are consistent with federal law, including 8 U.S.C. §§ 1373 and 1644 and 52 U.S.C. § 20507, which require states to maintain complete and accurate voter registration rolls.

“South Carolinians can be confident that, heading into the 2026 election cycle, our procedures fully reflect the citizen-only voting requirement approved by voters in 2024,” said Director Knapp.

The SEC encourages all voters to visit scVOTES.gov to confirm their registration status and learn more about election integrity efforts underway across the state.

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