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NC Board of Elections approves new citizenship verification process
By WFAE staff and wire reports
April 17, 2026 at 9:28 AM EDT
The North Carolina Board of Elections has approved a new process to review whether voters are citizens.
The rules would allow the state to share voter information with the Department of Homeland Security to flag potentially ineligible voters using the federal SAVE database.
If challenged, voters would need to provide proof of citizenship or risk being removed from the voter rolls.
Democrats argue the federal database is unreliable and could disenfranchise eligible voters. Republicans on the board say the changes will build trust in elections, and ensure voters get due process.
The rules would allow the state to share voter information with the Department of Homeland Security to flag potentially ineligible voters using the federal SAVE database.
If challenged, voters would need to provide proof of citizenship or risk being removed from the voter rolls.
Democrats argue the federal database is unreliable and could disenfranchise eligible voters. Republicans on the board say the changes will build trust in elections, and ensure voters get due process.