RALEIGH — The North Carolina State Board of Elections tabled the topic of participating in the Department of Homeland Security’s “Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements,” often referred to as “SAVE,” program at its Aug. 27 meeting.
The SAVE program, used by all levels of government, vets and verifies the immigration status of certain applicants seeking driver’s licenses and other occupational licenses, as well as various state and federal benefits. The program doesn’t determine eligibility for licenses or benefits; that’s up to the agencies involved to complete. SAVE is administered by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
The issue was tabled near the end of the meeting following the board’s return from a lengthy closed session.
“We are going to put that off for another day. We’re not dealing with that issue,” said NCSBE Board Member Francis De Luca. “We discussed some of the details in closed session and decided that we weren’t ready to deal with that issue.”
An Aug. 21 email sent by Timothy Benz of USCIS’s Verification Division to the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) invited the state to participate in a “soft launch” of a new SAVE feature that uses the last four digits of a Social Security number “as an enumerator for case submission.”
“This soft launch is by invitation only — we are not announcing its availably [sic] for widespread use at this time,” wrote Benz. “SAVE needs to throttle the intake of these cases at the outset, as we know the demand will be high and want to ensure the program’s ability to meet the increased demand.
“We are prioritizing your state due to prior participation and engagements between our agencies.”
Benz’s email did not say how many other states received the invitation.
The SAVE program’s inclusion of Social Security numbers stems from President Donald Trump’s March 25 executive order to safeguard elections, including preventing noncitizens from voting. USCIS issued a press release in May outlining a partnership with the Social Security Administration and encouraged states to participate in the SAVE program.
According to USCIS, “approximately 1,200 agencies nationwide use SAVE to support their benefit eligibility and licensing determinations,” and more than 21.5 million verifications were performed through SAVE in 2023.
Six state agencies use the program: N.C. Employment Security Commission (unemployment insurance); Department Health and Human Services (Medicaid, food stamps, energy assistance); N.C. Medical Board (occupational license, professional license); N.C. State Board of Dental Examiners (professional license); NCSBE (voter list maintenance); and NC Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (in-state tuition).
A separate search showed the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles uses the program for driver’s licenses and ID cards.
In other business handled during the meeting, the NCSBE did not resolve its lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ) over missing driver’s license and the last four digits of Social Security numbers in state voter registrations.
A motion filed by the USDOJ two days before the NCSBE met hinted that the board would be discussing the matter during its Aug. 27 meeting. The motion noted the two parties have been “negotiating in good faith” to come to a resolution and a consent order might be entered into.
“The State Board expects to review a proposed settlement in closed session at its upcoming August 27, 2025 meeting,” the USDOJ’s motion states. “If approved, Plaintiff and Defendants intend to submit on or about August 28, 2025, a joint motion to this court requesting entry of a Consent Order.”
In response to the lawsuit, the NCSBE initiated the “Voter Repair Project,” which includes a website launched in July for citizens to fix their registrations. In addition to the website, two mailings will go out to voters to notify them of corrective actions they need to take.
The NCSBE also issued a memo that contains guidance to local boards on “Provisional Voting for Registration Repair Voters.”
Early voting plans were also discussed, and three early voting sites in Cumberland County were approved.
The board split down party lines, 3-2, on Sunday voting to nix Sunday voting in Davidson and Union counties for the upcoming municipal elections. Union County did not have Sunday voting in the past, but Davidson County did.
The board’s two Democratic members, Jeff Carmon and Siobhan Miller, raised objections to cutting Sunday voting for the two counties.
“I think it’s critical that we set a precedent that makes voting easier, makes voting available,” Carmen said. “And I think we’re going down a dark path when we’re saying we’re taking away Sunday voting.”
Republican Stacy “Four” Eggers countered Carmon, stating, “North Carolina has probably the most accessible elections in the nation with 17 days and mail-in voting that folks can take advantage of, as well as Election Day.”
