Esternita Watkins, a naturalized American citizen, was looking forward to casting her first vote in the upcoming presidential election after becoming a citizen nearly two years ago. However, her voter registration was deactivated by state Secretary of State Wes Allen, who flagged her for having a noncitizen identification number. Watkins felt frustrated and unsure about re-registering, as the process was expensive and she had already proven her citizenship when she first registered.
Allen’s voter roll purge, which targets anyone with a noncitizen identification number, has affected thousands of naturalized citizens in Alabama. Voting rights advocates argue that these efforts amount to voter suppression and violate federal voting laws. They have demanded Alabama stop the process and provide documents about its development and use.
Despite backlash from advocacy groups, Allen has not yet responded to their demands and defended his actions, stating that he will not bow down to threats from activist groups. He claimed that he was denied assistance from the federal government in identifying noncitizens in Alabama, which led to his decision to flag voters with noncitizen identification numbers.
The situation has raised concerns about the targeting of naturalized citizens and the potential impact on their ability to vote in the upcoming election. Watkins and other naturalized citizens who have been affected are grappling with the uncertainty and burden of re-registering to vote. Voting rights advocates continue to push back against these voter roll purges and call for fair and inclusive voting processes.
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