A federal judge has temporarily halted Alabama’s controversial voter removal program, marking a significant legal development in the ongoing dispute surrounding voter purges ahead of the upcoming Election Day.
The ruling follows a challenge from the Justice Department and civil rights organizations against Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen’s initiative, which aimed to “remove noncitizens registered to vote” from the state’s rolls.
Under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), states, including Alabama, are prohibited from systematically removing individuals from voter registration lists within 90 days of a federal election, a period commonly referred to as the “quiet period.”
In August, just 84 days before the election, Allen announced plans to purge 3,251 individuals from the voter registry who had received noncitizen identification numbers from the Department of Homeland Security. However, this list also included U.S. citizens who were naturalized and eligible to vote, raising concerns about the legitimacy and accuracy of the removals.
U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco, appointed by former President Donald Trump, determined that Alabama’s voter removal process violated the NVRA’s provisions and ordered a suspension of the program until November 5.
In her ruling, Manasco emphasized the implications of Allen’s decision, stating, “This year, Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen (1) failed to meet the deadline by announcing the purge program just eighty-four days before the 2024 General Election, (2) admitted that his purge list included thousands of United States citizens, and (3) referred everyone on the purge list to the Alabama Attorney General for potential criminal investigation.”
Similar legal challenges are unfolding in Virginia, where the Justice Department and advocacy groups are contesting an executive order from Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin that mandates “daily updates” to the state’s voter list to eliminate individuals unable to verify their citizenship through the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Opponents of the order argue that the timing of these voter removals breaches the NVRA’s “quiet period” and that the data used for citizenship verification may be inaccurate or outdated.
Governor Youngkin dismissed the DOJ’s lawsuit as a “desperate attempt” to undermine electoral legitimacy in Virginia. This sentiment was echoed by Trump, who has made unfounded claims about widespread noncitizen voting while campaigning for reelection, characterizing the DOJ’s actions as an instance of “weaponization” to influence electoral outcomes.
Additionally, a potential legal battle is brewing in Ohio, where voting rights advocates, led by the American Civil Liberties Union, have contacted Secretary of State Frank LaRose regarding mass voter removals that allegedly do not comply with NVRA requirements. These groups are prepared to take legal action if their concerns are not addressed within 20 days.
