The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Sept. 28, 2026
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September 27, 2026 12:03 pmWASHINGTON, DC — There’s been a decision in a U.S. Supreme Court voting rights & data privacy case we’ve been following. Sept. 25th, the high court’s majority allowed Social Security data to be used in the Trump administration’s SAVE database, over the strenuous objection of pro-voter and civil rights groups and several states.
Congress authorized the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, database, to verify citizenship for entitlement programs. Without congressional approval, the administration expanded it to verify citizenship for voting purposes, which states, pro-voter groups and voters said violated the Social Security Act, the Privacy Act of 1974, and the Administrative Procedures Act. They also argued that use of the notoriously inaccurate SAVE system would lead to eligible voters being blocked from voting.
The high court’s majority disagreed, allowing use of the Social Security information by states to verify voter eligibility. However, rather than verifying large batches close to the election, which could disenfranchise tens of thousands of voters close to the election, the majority’s justices authorized only one-by-one verification until a full appeal by the DC Court of Appeals.
In her dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, joined by Justices Sotomayor and Kagan, argued use of the data was clearly a violation, and its use for voting purposes should have been blocked.
We’ve linked to the decision and more analysis at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources
U.S. Supreme Court – DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, ET AL. v. LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS, ET AL.
ON APPLICATION FOR STAY
SCOTUSBlog – Supreme Court clears way for Trump administration to use modified voter verification database
Nevada Indpendent – 185 noncitizen voters flagged by Trump admin in Nevada are likely citizens, state says
The statement from election officials comes after the Trump administration first claimed up to 16,000 noncitizens could be registered to vote in Nevada.
Legal Defense Fund – LDF Strongly Condemns the U.S. Supreme Court’s Decision to Restore Trump Administration’s SAVE Database
https://www.naacpldf.org/news/ldf-strongly-condemns-the-u-s-supreme-courts-decision-to-restore-trump-administrations-save-database/
Related ADM Reports:
American Democracy Minute – Federal District Court Rules Use of Social Security and Other Federal Data for SAVE Database Violates Multiple Federal Privacy Statutes
American Democracy Minute – Class Action Suit by Voters Claims Personal Data Shared to the Trump Administration’s SAVE Database Violates the Privacy Act of 1974
Groups Taking Action:
League of Women Voters US, Electronic Privacy Information Center
Register or Check Your Voter Registration:
U.S. Election Assistance Commission – How to Register And Vote in Your State
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