MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen says he has identified 3,251 noncitizens that have registered to vote and has instructed local authorities in all 67 counties to inactivate noncitizens’ voter registration.
Allen said the individuals will have the opportunity to remove their registration or update it to reflect proper citizenship, should their status change. The individuals were identified by a Department of Homeland Security-issued identification number, according to a release.
“Those who do not self-remove or update their voter registration have been placed on the path to removal as prescribed by the National Voter Registration Act,” Allen said in a statement.
According to the release, Allen repeatedly requested help from the federal government, but was denied. Allen told ADN the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service originally cited security of personal identifying information for not releasing data.
“I have been clear that I will not tolerate the participation of noncitizens in our elections,” Allen said. “I have even gone so far as to testify before a United States Senate Committee regarding the importance of this issue. We have examined the current voter file in an attempt to identify anyone who appears on that list that has been issued a noncitizen identification number.”
Allen told ADN the Secretary of State’s office cross-checked the identifying numbers with two state agencies and are working to obtain more.
“This is not a one-time review of our voter file,” he said. “We will continue to conduct such reviews to do everything possible to make sure that everyone on our file is an eligible voter.”
Allen’s office sent the list of registered voters with noncitizen identification numbers to the Office of Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall for further investigation and possible criminal prosecution.
The Alabama initiative mirrors similar moves in neighboring states. In June, Tennessee election officials asked over 14,000 people to provide proof of citizenship in order to remain on active-voter rolls, The Associated Press reported. They later walked back that request after local voting rights advocates accused the state of voter intimidation.
Jonathan Diaz, the director of voting advocacy and partnerships for the Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan organization that works to expand voting access, said Allen’s announcement undermines public confidence in the integrity of elections, and is a disproportionate response to a relatively rare phenomenon.
“It’s like using a bazooka to kill a cockroach,” he told the AP. “You know, you get the cockroach, but you’re going to cause a lot of collateral damage. And in this case, the collateral damage are eligible registered voters who are being flagged for removal from the rolls.”