DHS Chief Pushes States to Vet Voter Rolls, Threatens Penalties for Noncompliance

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told state election officials they must run voter rolls through a DHS database to identify noncitizens, warning of penalties including prison time if they don’t comply. DHS says about 250,000 noncitizens may be on rolls in California, New Jersey, Nevada, and Pennsylvania. The tool, originally for immigration checks, has been blocked by a federal judge for voter use and is criticized as error-prone, potentially flagging naturalized citizens and risking eligible voters’ removal. Experts say the effort could undermine trust in elections; Mullin pledged ongoing record scrubbing and an updated election-security plan to be released within 30 days.