Lawsuit Claims Alabama's Voter Purge Program Unfairly Targets Naturalized Citizens

A new lawsuit filed in federal court in Birmingham claims that Alabama's voter purge program, led by Secretary of State Wes Allen, is unfairly targeting naturalized citizens and long-time residents. This effort is part of a larger move to remove non-citizens from Alabama's voter rolls. The lawsuit was brought by several residents, including individuals born in Florida, the Netherlands, England, and Canada, all of whom have become U.S. citizens. They argue that Allen’s actions are discriminatory and burdensome.

Wes Allen recently announced that 3,251 registered voters had been assigned non-citizen identification numbers, prompting him to instruct Alabama’s 67 county boards of registrars to remove any non-citizens from the voting rolls. Federal law, passed in 1996, prohibits non-citizens from voting in federal elections. Allen has also referred these cases to Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall for further investigation and possible criminal prosecution.

The lawsuit, filed by organizations including the Campaign Legal Center, Fair Elections Center, and Southern Poverty Law Center, refers to Allen’s plan as the “Purge Program.” According to the plaintiffs, this program unnecessarily intimidates eligible voters, especially naturalized citizens, by threatening criminal prosecution and requiring them to re-register to vote.

The plaintiffs argue that this program violates the National Voter Registration Act and the 14th Amendment, which guarantees equal protection under the law. They emphasize that all American citizens, regardless of where they were born, should have the right to vote without fear of being wrongly removed from voter rolls.

One of the plaintiffs, James Stroop, has lived in Alabama since 1978 and claims his voter registration was deactivated due to a mistake. He mistakenly indicated he was a non-citizen while applying for unemployment benefits. Though the error was corrected, Stroop is still unsure if he will be allowed to vote in the upcoming November election.

Another plaintiff, Roald Hazelhoff, a naturalized citizen from the Netherlands, also had his registration affected after filing for unemployment before becoming a U.S. citizen. He remains uncertain whether he will be able to vote in 2024, despite being listed as an active voter.

The lawsuit also represents other organizations, such as the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice, the Alabama State Conference of the NAACP, and the League of Women Voters of Alabama. These groups argue that Allen’s actions are creating unnecessary fear and intimidation among lawfully registered voters.

Kathy Jones, president of the League of Women Voters of Alabama, stated, "Secretary Allen’s actions are not making our elections safer; instead, they are removing lawfully registered voters and causing fear among eligible citizens."

Bernard Simelton, president of the Alabama NAACP, expressed disappointment in Allen's efforts, accusing him of disenfranchising voters. Simelton suggested that such actions could be used as an excuse by some candidates if they lose the upcoming election.

Despite the lawsuit, a spokesperson for Wes Allen's office declined to comment on the matter, citing ongoing litigation.