The following is a statement from Nancy Altman, President of Social Security Works, in response to today’s Supreme Court decision greenlighting the use of Social Security data for determining voter eligibility:
“In the name of non-existent voter fraud, the Supreme Court has given the Trump administration the power to misuse Social Security data to deprive American citizens of their right to vote. This is an obvious effort to undermine free and fair elections.
The personal data that Americans provide to the Social Security Administration is intended for one purpose only: To get people the benefits they’ve earned. Only those who are lawfully present in this country are eligible for benefits.
Because Social Security data was never intended for verifying voter eligibility, SSA has no reason to keep people’s immigration status up to date in cases where it isn’t relevant for their benefits. Indeed, it would be a misuse of trust fund monies for SSA to spend resources updating that information.
That means that some of the data is inaccurate or outdated. As a result, U.S. citizens could wrongfully lose their right to vote.
Today’s Supreme Court decision is a violation of the trust that the American people place in Social Security.”
This content originally appeared on Common Dreams and was authored by Newswire Editor.