Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin warned that states refusing to follow federal election-security guidance risk losing funding and that local officials who ignore DHS intelligence could face legal consequences, while urging nationwide participation in the SAVE program and pushing Congress to pass the SAVE America Act to tighten voter eligibility requirements.
Markwayne Mullin laid out a blunt message: federal help comes with expectations. He said the administration will not tolerate states or officials ignoring information meant to protect elections, and that consequences could follow when guidance is rejected.
“If the election officials, once we gave them the information they need to secure their elections and they chose not to, then those individuals can also be held accountable by fines, by penalties, and even depending on how far it goes, prison time,” said Mullin. That line makes clear this is not just advisory in tone; it is framed as enforceable and serious.
The department has expanded the SAVE program to 23 states, letting election administrators cross-check voter rolls against federal immigration data. Participation remains voluntary in many places, and several Republican-led states have yet to sign on, which to this administration looks like an avoidable risk.
“Every state that’s not participating with us should be asked the hard question why not? What are you afraid of? If they’re not willing to do it … it should raise serious questions. It’s not that hard. This isn’t a partisan issue,” said Mullin. He pressed the point that protecting election integrity should be basic governance, not a game of political dodgeball.
DHS has also attached election-security conditions to FEMA’s Homeland Security Grant Program and said it will update its election-infrastructure plan through CISA within 30 days. The goal, officials say, is to create uniform standards so state and local election systems are not left exposed to interference or error.
Mullin highlighted a troubling data set the department identified: roughly 250,000 voter-registration records in California, New Jersey, Nevada and Pennsylvania that DHS believes belong to noncitizens. That figure is being used to argue for wider enrollment in federal-state matching efforts and for clearer documentation rules at registration.
“States must do their part to secure our election system, and we stand by to help,” said Mullin. The administration is framing federal assistance as both practical support and a push for accountability, offering tools while warning of consequences for willful neglect.
On policy, Mullin is backing the SAVE America Act, which would require documentary proof of citizenship for federal voter registration and mandate photo ID at the polls. “I think the Save Act should be passed tomorrow. I think it should have already been passed,” said Mullin, signaling impatience with congressional delays and a desire for prompt legislative action.
Not everyone in the Senate is sold on a fast track, with questions about whether the bill can clear procedural hurdles and win the supermajority votes needed to overcome a filibuster. That reality has prompted the administration to couple regulatory pressure with a push for statutory reforms, trying to move both executive and legislative levers at once.
The debate now centers on whether states will accept federal checks and whether Congress will give the administration new legal tools. The administration insists that cross-checks, clear ID rules and shared intelligence are commonsense measures that protect the franchise and public confidence without targeting voters for political reasons.
Officials say they will coordinate with the Commerce Department and CISA to set practical security requirements, while continuing to encourage state election officials to participate in federal programs. The White House and DHS were contacted for comment as the push continues and states weigh their next steps.
