By Axios | Created at 2024-09-27 23:49:56 | Updated at 2024-09-30 07:24:03
2 days ago
An Alabama program to systemically remove potentially ineligible voters from its rolls comes too close to the upcoming election, the Justice Department said Friday in a lawsuit.
Why it matters: The National Voter Registration Act prevents states from removing voters from the active rolls less than 90 days before an election in what's known as a Quiet Period to prevent last-minute mistakes.
- "As Election Day approaches, it is critical that Alabama redress voter confusion resulting from its list maintenance mailings sent in violation of federal law," Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, said in a statement.
- "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."
State of play: In August, Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen announced a plan to remove noncitizens from the voting rolls, citing 3,251 individuals who had registered to vote who were not American citizens.
- That was 84 days before the Nov. 5 election.
- At the time, Allen said the federal government had declined to help Alabama identify noncitizens who may have erroneously registered to vote.
What they're saying: "I was elected Secretary of State by the people of Alabama, and it is my Constitutional duty to ensure that only American citizens vote in our elections," Allen said in a statement provided to Axios.
- Allen's office declined to comment further on pending litigation.
What's next: The Justice Department is asking a federal court to reinstate eligible voters and require Alabama to inform anyone impacted that their ability to vote has been restored.
