The Trump administration is actively promoting a voter eligibility verification program that has already processed at least 67 million voter registrations, according to reporting by The Boston Globe. The registrations run primarily through Republican-controlled states and have been funneled through a strengthened verification system at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The scale of the program has drawn attention ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Critics have raised concerns that the effort could serve as a vehicle for large-scale removal of voters from the rolls — what opponents have characterized as a midterm purge — though supporters of the program frame it as a legitimate check on voter eligibility.
The DHS program represents a significant expansion of federal involvement in state-level voter registration processes. The concentration of participation among Republican-controlled states has amplified scrutiny of how the results will be used and whether voters whose registrations are flagged will have adequate notice or opportunity to respond before being removed.
The Boston Globe reported the 67 million figure but did not disclose further details about which specific states participated, what criteria the DHS system uses to flag registrations, or what actions states are required or permitted to take based on the program’s findings. The full scope of the program’s rules and enforcement mechanisms was not available in the published report.
Voter roll maintenance is a routine but frequently contested aspect of election administration. Federal law requires states to make reasonable efforts to keep registration lists accurate, but it also sets limits on when and how voters can be removed, including restrictions on large-scale purges close to an election. Whether this DHS-backed program operates within or tests those boundaries is a question critics are pressing as the midterms approach.
Reporting by The Boston Globe, published May 17, 2026. Read the original report.
