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.
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.
Hellbound and Down 