Montana Partners With Trump Administration to Verify Voter Citizenship Status

HELENA — Montana’s Secretary of State has partnered with the Trump administration to verify citizenship status on the state’s voter rolls, marking a new phase in the state’s five-year campaign to improve election accuracy.

The state will compare its voter registration list with citizenship data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) through the SAVE program, according to a statement from the Secretary of State’s office.

The partnership fulfills a request Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen and 20 other secretaries of state made to DHS in March, when they urged reforms to the SAVE program including free access to citizenship verification data. The Trump administration has now granted that access at no cost to states.

The SAVE program allows state agencies to verify an individual’s immigration status and citizenship. Under the new arrangement, Montana election officials can cross-reference voter rolls with federal citizenship records to identify potential registration discrepancies, though the state must still process removals individually according to federal guidelines.

“Accurate and up-to-date voter rolls are essential for safe, secure, transparent, and accessible elections,” Jacobsen said. “Over the past five years, we have prioritized ensuring Montana’s voter rolls are accurate—requiring election officials to conduct more frequent voter roll maintenance, making it easier for families to cancel a deceased loved one’s voter registration, and reducing the number of undeliverable ballots.”

The partnership provides Montana with free access to federal citizenship data that previous administrations refused to share with states.

“Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, Montana now has direct access at no cost to citizenship data that previous administrations refused to allow,” Jacobsen said. “Every eligible Montanan has the right to have their voice heard at the ballot box, and only those qualified and eligible should cast a ballot in our elections.”

Overwhelming public support

The citizenship verification initiative reflects strong public sentiment in Montana. A March 2023 statewide survey of 1,020 likely voters found that 85% believed only U.S. citizens should vote in Montana elections, while just 8% said non-citizens should have the right to vote in some elections, according to polling by Remington Research Group.

Support for citizen-only voting crossed party lines:

• 95% of Republicans
• 85% of non-partisans
• 70% of Democrats

The same survey tested a proposed constitutional amendment to clarify that only U.S. citizens can vote in Montana elections. Initial support stood at 72%, with 12% opposed and 16% undecided.

After hearing arguments from both supporters and opponents, support increased to 73% with opposition rising to 16%.

Montana voters responded most strongly when told that New York City and Washington, D.C., now allow non-citizens to vote in local elections. That information made 53% of respondents more likely to support the amendment, compared to 23% who became less likely.

The survey also found that 54% of voters would be more likely to support a candidate who backs the citizen-only voting amendment, while 16% said it would make them less likely.

Part of broader election integrity efforts

The citizenship verification program builds on Montana’s recent voter roll maintenance improvements.

In July, Montana received the 2025 National Association of State Election Directors Innovators Award for a program that cuts deceased voter removal time from years to days while reducing the burden on grieving families.

Montana also promoted voter registration efforts in September ahead of the 2026 midterms, though concerns remain about election system vulnerabilities including absentee ballot abuse and same-day registration loopholes.

According to the Secretary of State’s office, the SAVE program partnership adds federal citizenship verification to Montana’s existing voter roll maintenance procedures, which include more frequent audits by county election officials and improved processes for handling undeliverable ballots.