The NPR Politics Podcast Exclusive: The Trump Administration Is Building A National Citizenship Data System
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Jun 30, 2025 The Trump administration's plan to create a national citizenship data system aims to verify voter eligibility. This proposal raises concerns among voting officials and privacy advocates about potential disenfranchisement and data security. The podcast delves into the historical context and the implications of such data collection efforts, highlighting state officials' skepticism and the challenges of federal data sharing. Additionally, discussions touch on the recent cuts to public media funding and their risks to local stations.
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Non-Citizen Voting Is Rare Issue
- Non-citizen voting in federal elections is an extremely rare issue with only microscopic numbers involved.
- Election officials struggle with verifying citizenship using a patchwork of data sources before the new federal system SAVE was expanded.
No National ID or Citizenship List Before
- The U.S. historically avoided a national list of citizens or a national ID due to political resistance.
- The new system by DHS is unprecedented and raises significant privacy and governmental control concerns.
Selective Briefings on New Citizenship Tool
- The expanded SAVE system was not broadly communicated to election officials despite briefings to election denial groups.
- This indicates a prioritization of certain political audiences over state officials who implement elections.