Texas has handed over detailed voter data on 18 million residents to the U.S. Department of Justice under an agreement struck with the Trump administration, News Of Fort Worth has learned.
At a Glance
- Texas shared names, birthdates, and partial SSNs for every registered voter
- About a dozen states have complied; 20 others are fighting the request
- Voting-rights lawyers warn past Texas purges wrongly flagged thousands of citizens
- Why it matters: A new federal database could shape who gets dropped before November’s election
The Texas Secretary of State’s office confirmed it transmitted the statewide voter file after signing a memorandum of understanding aimed at scrubbing ineligible registrations. Governor Greg Abbott hailed the move on social media: “We want our voter rolls to be checked for potential ineligible registrations. Only U.S. citizens can vote in Texas.”
The dataset includes basic information-names, dates of birth, and the last four digits of Social Security numbers-making it the largest single contribution so far to the administration’s effort to build a national voter database ahead of the 2024 vote.
Which States Are Sharing Data?
- Complied: Texas plus roughly a dozen others
- Resisting: About 20 states locked in court battles
- Next: Federal officials continue requesting files state-by-state
Jane Nelson’s agency already conducts routine reviews to remove non-citizens, but her general counsel told the DOJ the state is “providing the requested data with the understanding that the Department will comply with all applicable laws.”
Critics argue the Constitution leaves voter-qualification decisions to the states, not Washington. “The problem here is really that the federal government has no authority under the United States Constitution to be telling states what the qualifications to vote are. That’s a state’s right,” said Daniel Freeman, director of litigation for the Democratic National Committee. Freeman has sent warning letters to Texas officials and is monitoring the process to ensure eligible voters are not caught in the dragnet.
He cites a 2019 episode when Texas settled a lawsuit after its database match wrongly labeled tens of thousands of U.S. citizens as non-citizens. “Texas also knows that these database matches can have mistakes,” Freeman noted, adding that clerical errors or outdated records can lead to eligible voters receiving challenge notices close to deadlines.
With the new federal trove now in hand, officials will begin cross-checking against immigration and other federal databases. Any mismatches could trigger removal proceedings, though states retain final say on who stays registered.
Key Takeaways
- Texas has surrendered 18 million voter records to federal custody
- Roughly half the states are cooperating; the rest are in litigation
- Past state-level purges wrongly flagged thousands of citizens
- The outcome could influence voter lists nationwide before ballots are cast
