Podcast Summary: Consider This from NPR

Episode: Why some U.S. citizens are being kicked off voting rolls
Date: December 13, 2025
Host: Myles Parks (with reporting by Jude Joffe-Block)
Duration: ~15 minutes

Overview

This episode explores how new efforts to weed out non-citizen voters, especially through the use of a federal database called SAVE, are also causing legitimate U.S. citizens to lose their right to vote. Host Myles Parks and NPR reporter Jude Joffe-Block discuss the stories uncovered in their reporting, the controversy and confusion driven by state and federal data-matching, concerns about due process and data privacy, and the political implications of these aggressive voter roll purges.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Case of Anthony Nell: A Citizen "Flagged"

[00:00-02:09]

• Anthony Nell’s story is the episode’s anchor: a long-time Dallas-area voter and passport holder, he received a letter questioning his citizenship and requiring proof to remain a registered voter.
  • Anthony Nell: "At first I was confused because I have a passport. I've been voting for 10 years. Why is this happening now?" [00:17]
• Like Nell, 2,700 people were flagged in Texas by running voter rolls through SAVE — a system historically reserved for determining immigrant eligibility for benefits, now adapted to cross-check citizenship status.
• Nell’s background as a naturalized citizen (gained as a child when his parents were naturalized) illustrates a flaw: SAVE cannot reliably confirm the status of many eligible voters.
• Nell was uncomfortable uploading sensitive documents online and missed the required deadline; when he checked, he found himself removed from the rolls:
  • Anthony Nell: "I do not pop up. I am no longer registered to vote." [02:06]

2. The Data System: SAVE’s New Role and Risks

[02:09-05:27, 08:29-09:49]

• SAVE’s Expansion: Under the Trump administration, SAVE has been revamped—now linked to Social Security data and able to check most Americans for citizenship status, with plans to incorporate driver’s license data as well.
  • Jude Joffe-Block: "[SAVE] is really essentially trying to be a citizenship lookup tool, which we've never had before...never had this kind of data consolidated." [08:49]
• Critics worry about the lack of due process and transparency:
  • Only one letter may be sent; there’s no confirmation upon deregistration and no guarantee recipients even received these letters.
    • Anthony Nell: "There's no confirmation that someone received the letter. And so there are, you know, probably tons of people out there that have no idea that they're no longer registered to vote." [05:13]
  • The process is inconsistent across states, and the next steps after flagging are unclear.

3. Reporting on Voters Unaware of Their Status

[06:10-08:29]

• Joffe-Block explains her experiences telling legitimate voters in Virginia, Alabama, and Tennessee—sometimes for the first time—that they’d been tagged as potential non-citizens.
  • Building trust is delicate: strangers are asked to discuss citizenship status and, at times, display sensitive documents via video call.
    • Jude Joffe-Block: "You're basically talking to people about something where they don't know how their information has been used and might be very wary about these efforts and feel in some ways like their privacy is invaded." [07:35]
• She describes confusion felt by citizens, including those born in the U.S., about how and why this happened.

4. Actual Results vs. Narrative on Noncitizen Voting

[09:49-11:35]

• States using SAVE report minute numbers of confirmed non-citizen voters; for example, Louisiana’s review (3 million voters checked) identified just 79 possible non-citizen ballots—over four decades.
  • Jude Joffe-Block: "So this is a tiny percentage of their registered voters. But I don't think that means that this narrative is going anywhere." [10:06]
• Despite little evidence, some political figures continue amplifying the narrative of widespread non-citizen voting:
  • Harmeet Dhillon (Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights): "I think it could be a six figure number when you spread out over the whole country, could be even higher than that." [10:48]
  • She further implies small numbers could sway elections:
    • Harmeet Dhillon: "A few hundred votes here or there could absolutely turn the outcome of a national election." [11:03]
• Joffe-Block highlights confusion caused by conflating:
  • Potential vs. confirmed noncitizens
  • Registration by noncitizens vs. actual voting by noncitizens

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Anthony Nell (on receiving the notice): “My first thought was something is going on in terms of wanting to adjust and change who is registered to vote.” [00:17]
• Jude Joffe-Block (on voter protections): “Are people getting enough due process to be able to stay on the rolls?” [05:27]
• Jude Joffe-Block (about public confusion): “…even talking about this issue can lead to a lot of confusion.” [11:15]

Important Segment Timestamps

• [00:00] Start; Anthony Nell’s story
• [02:09] Broader concerns about SAVE and data privacy
• [04:54] Jude Joffe-Block on voter outreach and process flaws
• [06:10] Reporting on citizens surprised they were removed or flagged
• [08:49] How the SAVE database has changed
• [10:06] Evidence for claims about noncitizen voting (very low incidence)
• [10:48] Clip from Harmeet Dhillon on potential numbers
• [11:15] Clarifying confusion between flagged, registered, and actual noncitizen votes

Tone & Style

The tone is factual, empathetic, and probing—combining careful reporting with firsthand accounts from affected voters and those studying the system’s evolution. The episode is direct but nuanced, focusing on the mechanics and personal impacts rather than sensationalism.

Takeaways

• Expanding federal data tools to check citizenship is removing eligible voters.
• Communication is inconsistent and due process often lacking.
• Evidence for widespread noncitizen voting is scant, but the political narrative persists.
• These efforts risk undermining confidence in the voting system and disenfranchising citizens.

For more details, listen to the full episode from NPR.