The Biden-Harris Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit against the state of Alabama over its efforts to remove non-citizens from the voter rolls ahead of the 2024 election, citing that the program was initiated “too close” to the upcoming November 5 election. Alabama’s Secretary of State, Wes Allen, had announced in August that 3,251 individuals identified as non-citizens had been registered to vote and would be removed from the rolls.
According to a DOJ press release, Alabama’s actions violated Section 8(c)(2) of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), which prohibits states from conducting programs to systematically remove ineligible voters within 90 days of a federal primary or general election. Since the state’s program was announced on August 13, it fell within that restricted 90-day window.
In his original statement, Allen emphasized his commitment to ensuring only eligible voters participate in elections. “I will not tolerate the participation of non-citizens in our elections,” he said. Allen also mentioned that Alabama had carefully reviewed its voter file to identify individuals who had been issued non-citizen identification numbers.
The DOJ’s lawsuit targets the state’s actions, arguing that the program violated federal law and caused confusion for some naturalized citizens, who