Alabama’s Secretary of State Wes Allen announced that over 3,000 voters identified as noncitizens will have their registration status marked as inactive, sparking controversy and pushback from voting rights advocates.
Alabama, Bollywood Fever: In a move that has sparked significant controversy, Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen announced this week that 3,251 registered voters will have their registration status changed to inactive due to concerns that they are noncitizens. This decision follows a cross-referencing of voter registration data with a list of noncitizen identification numbers provided by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The affected individuals will receive letters notifying them of their status change and will be required to visit their local county registrar’s office to provide proof of citizenship if they wish to vote in the upcoming November elections. Alabama, which has over 3 million registered voters, has made it clear that this will not be a one-time action, with Allen stating that the state will continue to review voter files to ensure that only eligible voters remain registered.
“This is not a one-time review of our voter file. We will continue to conduct such reviews to do everything possible to make sure that everyone on our file is an eligible voter,” Allen said. He also mentioned that the list of flagged voters would be provided to the Attorney General’s Office for further investigation and possible criminal prosecution.
The decision has been met with swift opposition from voter rights advocates who argue that such actions could disenfranchise eligible voters, particularly those who may have become naturalized U.S. citizens since the DHS list was created. Jonathan Diaz, the director of voting advocacy and partnerships for the Campaign Legal Center, criticized the move as an overreaction that could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
“It’s like using a bazooka to kill a cockroach,” Diaz said. “You know, you get the cockroach, but you’re going to cause a lot of collateral damage. And in this case, the collateral damage are eligible registered voters who are being flagged for removal from the rolls.”
This initiative in Alabama mirrors similar actions taken in neighboring states. In June, Tennessee election officials asked over 14,000 people to provide proof of citizenship to remain on active voter rolls, a request they later retracted after accusations of voter intimidation from local advocacy groups.
While Allen assures that naturalized citizens will have the opportunity to update their information and retain their voting rights, the move has intensified the ongoing national debate over voter eligibility, proof of citizenship, and the balance between preventing voter fraud and protecting voter access.
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