A federal judge on Wednesday halted an Alabama effort to purge voter registration rolls of people who should not be able to vote in the state.
The Justice Department sued Alabama to stop Secretary of State Wes Allen from what he said were “strategic efforts” to “remove noncitizens registered to vote,” according to NBC.
Under the program, Allen sought to remove 3,251 voters and said they would be referred to the state attorney general’s office for possible prosecution.
U.S. District Court Judge Anna Manasco, who had been nominated by former President Donald Trump in 2020, said the program had to stop due to the timing.
“For decades, federal law has given states a hard deadline to complete systematic purges of ineligible persons from voter rolls: no later than ninety days before a federal election,” Manasco wrote. NBC referred to the rule as a “quiet period.”
“This year, Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen (1) blew the deadline when he announced a purge program to begin eighty-four days before the 2024 General Election, (2) later admitted that his purge list included thousands of United States citizens (in addition to far fewer noncitizens, who are ineligible to vote), and (3) in any event, referred everyone on the purge list to the Alabama Attorney General for criminal investigation,” Manasco wrote.
Manasco ordered the state to contact those who were targeted by the program to let them know they are able to vote this year.
The order said that Allen is not barred from removing voters who would be ineligble for other reasons — such as criminal offenses or death.
If Allen learns an individual on the rolls is not an American citizen by means other than the program to remove them en masse, he can remove such a person, the order said.
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The injunction to stop Allen from removing voters only lasts until the day after the Nov. 5 election.
“Because this litigation is still ongoing, I am limited in my ability to comment,” Allen said in a statement, according to The Washington Post.
“Earlier today, the federal court issued a preliminary injunction order. I will comply with the order of the federal court.
“I have a constitutional duty to ensure that only eligible American citizens are voting in our elections. State and federal laws are clear that only eligible American citizens can vote in our elections. Today’s order does not change that.” Allen said.
In an August news release announcing his program, Allen said he was driven to adopt it because the federal government gave the state no help in trying to identify non-citizens in the state.
Allen said at the time he commended the program that it was “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. “I am hopeful that in the near future the federal government will change course and be helpful to states as we work to protect our elections.”
NBC noted that the Justice Department is seeking to force Virginia to restore people to the voting rolls who have been dropped as part of a program Gov. Glenn Youngkin authorized on Aug. 7, which is within the 90-day window referenced in Manasco’s order.
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