The Department of Justice is once again at odds with a state, this time taking aim at Alabama for its decision to clean up its voter rolls just before an election. The DOJ claims Alabama went too far by removing voters who had previously been issued noncitizen identification numbers, and they didn’t like the timing either. According to the DOJ, Alabama’s actions came too close to Election Day, a violation they say breaches federal law.
Here’s the kicker: noncitizen identification numbers, handed out by the IRS, are designed to make sure that even undocumented immigrants pay taxes. Yes, that’s right—there’s a system in place that lets people who aren’t even citizens fulfill their civic duty of paying taxes. But, along with that, these numbers also help legal migrants get driver’s licenses and show proof of residency. And here’s where Alabama’s Secretary of State Wes Allen steps in.
Allen, who took office in January, wasted no time getting to work. His team identified over 3,200 individuals who were registered to vote in Alabama but had been issued these noncitizen numbers. His message was crystal clear: noncitizens have no place in Alabama’s elections. He even testified before a U.S. Senate Committee on the issue. In Allen’s view, allowing noncitizens to vote undermines the integrity of the electoral process, and he’s not having any of it.
Naturally, the DOJ had something to say about that. They slapped Alabama and Allen with a lawsuit, claiming the state violated the National Voter Registration Act, which requires voter roll changes to be made no later than 90 days before an election. Alabama made its changes 84 days before the election—just shy of that deadline. The DOJ also complained that Allen’s purge might have affected natural-born citizens who were incorrectly flagged as noncitizens, adding more fuel to the fire.
The Justice Department is now seeking to reverse the removal of any eligible voters and wants Alabama to send out corrective mailings to explain the situation. They’re also demanding additional training for local officials to prevent confusion at the polls. Meanwhile, Allen, staying firm in his position, isn’t backing down. He reminded everyone that his job is to ensure only American citizens vote in Alabama’s elections, and that’s exactly what he plans to do.
As for the DOJ’s lawsuit? Allen kept it short and sweet, stating his office doesn’t comment on ongoing litigation. One thing’s for sure, though: this battle between state and federal authorities over voter eligibility is far from over.
