Federal Judge Halts Alabama Voter Purge Ahead of Election

The ruling targets a program initiated by Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen, which sought to identify and remove noncitizens from the registration rolls. However, the legal challenge—brought by the Department of Justice and various voting rights groups—revealed that the state’s sweep erroneously flagged thousands of naturalized U.S. citizens. Judge Manasco noted that Allen failed to adhere to the National Voter Registration Act, launching the initiative just 84 days before the 2024 contest.

Allen's office had removed more than 3,000 individuals from the rolls and referred them for potential criminal investigation. Records indicate that over 2,000 of those targeted have since been verified as eligible to vote. Under the court's order, Alabama now has three days to restore the active status of all voters wrongfully swept up in the campaign. The decision drew praise from civil rights advocates, who argued that the purge served as a form of intimidation against naturalized citizens and vulnerable voters.