Justice Department Sues Alabama Over Noncitizen Voter Purge
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit on Friday against the state of Alabama and Secretary of State Wes Allen (R) over the state’s voter purge program that targeted noncitizen voters.
According to the lawsuit, Alabama’s program to remove registered voters who previously held a noncitizen identification number violates the National Voter Registration Act’s (NRVA) 90-day “quiet period,” which prohibits removing registered voters from registration rolls within 90 days of an election. The lawsuit alleges that Alabama election officials moved to purge voters 84 days before the general election.
In response to Alabama’s attempt to purge voters just 84 days before the general election, the DOJ filed a lawsuit against the state, which is already embroiled in three ongoing voting rights lawsuits.
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In their lawsuit, the DOJ is asking a district court to block the state’s voter purge program and order election officials to withdraw any of the notices of removal they’ve sent to voters. They’re also asking the court to order election officials to notify any voters unfairly removed from the rolls that they have the right to re-register and vote in the general election.
“The right to vote is one of the most sacred rights in our democracy,” Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney General of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, said in a statement. “As Election Day approaches, it is critical that Alabama redress voter confusion resulting from its list maintenance mailings sent in violation of federal law. Officials across the country should take heed of the National Voter Registration Act’s clear and unequivocal restrictions on systematic list maintenance efforts that fall within 90 days of an election.