New federal order would share state lists of confirmed U.S. citizens for federal election checks

On March 31, 2026, the White House announced an executive order focused on “citizenship verification and integrity” in federal elections. The order says the right to vote in federal elections is reserved for U.S. citizens and points to federal laws that prohibit non-citizens from registering or voting in federal contests.

The order directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), working through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and in coordination with the Social Security Administration (SSA), to compile a “State Citizenship List.” The list would include individuals confirmed to be U.S. citizens who are expected to be at least 18 by the time of an upcoming federal election and who live in that state.

According to the order, the lists would be built from federal citizenship and naturalization records, SSA records, SAVE data (DHS’s Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements), and other federal databases. DHS would then transmit the lists to each state’s chief election official at least 60 days before regularly scheduled federal elections, or sooner if a state requests it for a special federal election.

The order also says states must still follow their own registration rules. Being listed as a confirmed citizen would not automatically mean someone is registered to vote, and the order notes that state laws or personal choices could still affect whether a person is registered.

Finally, the order calls for additional election measures through the mail, including “secure ballot envelope identifiers” such as bar codes, intended to create an auditable way to help confirm that only citizens receive and cast ballots. The excerpt does not specify exactly how states will implement these identifiers, so readers should check the official order and any later agency guidance for details.