State of Alabama

Alabama Naturalized Citizen Voter Purge Challenge (DOJ)

United States of America v. State of Alabama

Lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) against the state of Alabama and Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen (R) challenging the state’s voter purge program targeting “noncitizen” voting. Under this voter purge program, Alabama election officials have removed registered voters who have previously had a noncitizen identification number. The DOJ alleges that this program, implemented 84 days before the general election, led election officials to remove many naturalized citizens, who previously had noncitizen identification numbers before gaining their citizenship, from the state’s voter rolls. It argues this program violates the 90-day “quiet period” under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), which prohibits removing registered voters from rolls within 90 days of an election. The DOJ asks the court to block the state’s voter purge program. It also asks the court to order state election officials to withdraw any notices of removal they’ve already sent to voters and notify any voters unfairly removed from the rolls that they have the right to re-register and vote in the 2024 general election.

The DOJ filed its complaint on Sept. 27, 2024. Alabama has not responded yet.

STATUS: On Sept. 28, 2024, the district court judge consolidated this case with Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice v. Allen. Litigation is ongoing.

Case Documents

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