South Carolina set to use new tool to help verify voter citizenship status

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina Elections Commission will begin using a new verification tool to check voters’ citizenship status to ensure that only U.S. citizens are voting in elections.

The new tool is called the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) that was established by an executive order from President Donald Trump. It will allow state agencies to verify new voter applicants’ citizenship status.

The enhanced tool will start out using alien numbers, certificate of citizenship and/or naturalization numbers, eventually transitioning to using more identifiers like Social Security numbers. Only agencies with a memorandum of understanding with SAVE will be allowed to access the program and its data.

The rollout of the SAVE program comes after South Carolina citizens voted in 2024 to approve an amendment to the state constitution that says only US citizens can vote in all elections. Previously, the constitution stated that “all citizens 18 years and older can vote.”

“South Carolina voters overwhelmingly approved this amendment to ensure that only eligible citizens have a say in our elections,” Howard Knapp, executive director of the South Carolina Elections Commission, said. “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 elections commission first applied to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in 2024 for aid in verifying voters’ citizenship status, but their request was denied. It was later approved in early 2025.

Knapp said that the new tool will help reflect what citizens voted for in the 2024 election.

“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,” Knapp said.

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