The US Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration to use a controversial federal database to verify voter citizenship, despite previous legal challenges over privacy concerns.
The Supreme Court has lifted restrictions on the Trump administration's use of a federal database that collects citizenship information and other sensitive data to identify voters suspected of being non-citizens. The decision follows a June ruling by a federal judge that the system violated privacy rights, but the court's conservative majority argued that the National Voter Registration Act limits purges of voter rolls before elections.
The Save programme, created in 1986, was expanded by the Trump administration to allow bulk searches using Social Security data. A federal appeals court upheld a previous judge's ruling against the system, but the Supreme Court overturned that decision, citing a 1996 law that permits the Department of Homeland Security to provide citizenship data to states.
Why it matters
The decision affects states' ability to verify voter eligibility and may impact upcoming elections by allowing broader use of the Save programme.
This section reflects Dumpling editorial interpretation and is provided for context only.
What to watch
The Supreme Court's ruling may influence how states use the Save programme in the lead-up to the midterms.
This section reflects Dumpling editorial interpretation and is provided for context only.