Ahead of midterm elections, the United States Department of State (DOS) is reportedly “assessing” how to share passport information with state and local governments, as well as non-profit groups, in an effort to establish citizenship checks for voters. As we should.
The department aims to share the information with local governments in a way that “protects Americans’ data, deters fraud and supports the integrity of U.S. citizenship,” according to a department spokesperson. The announcement follows a 6-3 Supreme Court decision that allowed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide citizenship information to local governments in order to verify whether registered voters are U.S. citizens. The Department of Justice (DOJ) noted that the Trump administration will cross check passport records to identify noncitizens on registration lists, according to a filing released last week.
DHS General Counsel James Percival touted the move as a “victory for election integrity,” in Friday’s filing. “This decision is a victory for election integrity,” said Percival. “It’s remarkable that we had to file an emergency petition in the Supreme Court just so we can use government data to stop noncitizens from voting illegally. American elections are for Americans. The Trump Administration and the Department of Homeland Security will use every tool at our disposal to secure our elections.”
The voting records would include personal information on all individuals who have applied for a U.S. passport, according to The Hill. According to reporting from Democracy Docket, the notice also permits sharing information with federal verification systems “for the purpose of verifying identity or citizenship for users accessing government websites and applications, voter eligibility and other governmental services.”
The filing also adds that the DOS will soon publish a notice in the Federal Register — the federal government’s official daily publication — suggesting to allow “information contained in the Passport Services Records system” to be shared with other federal agencies — though the specific agencies were not identified.