Despite facing a bevy of legal challenges, Attorney General Steve Marshall had nothing but high praise for Secretary of State Wes Allen and others in the state for recent efforts to increase election integrity in Alabama.
In recent months, Allen has faced a maelstrom regarding legislative efforts to improve election security and "think outside the box" to prevent illegal voting.
In August, Allen launched an initiative from his office to remove thousands of non-citizen voters from Alabama's voter files. He had reportedly identified 3,251 non-citizen voters in the state as part of the effort. Allen claimed he only launched the program after failing to receive relevant data regarding ineligible voters from the federal government.
The DOJ and other advocacy organizations quickly filed suit.
Last week, U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco blocked the program from going forward, claiming it began too close to the November 5 general election, violating the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.
On a Wednesday appearance on Rightside Radio with Phil Williams, Marshall praised Allen's efforts to clean the voter rolls, calling him a "great client" while bashing the DOJ's efforts to interfere in Alabama's elections.
"If you're the Biden DOJ, you don't want to cooperate with the states in providing that data," Marshall said. "You've seen a little of the litigation that we have going on right now. And Secretary Allen talking about attempting to get that information from the federal government. [He} didn't receive it and tried to come up with another mechanism to remove those who are in this country unlawfully from being on our voting rolls."
He continued, "You can't not cooperate with us to do something that we all agree is appropriate, and that is removing those who are ineligible to vote from the voting rolls, but then come sue us when we try to find another means to be able to do it."
Also this month, a three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals denied a request to stay a partial preliminary injunction on Alabama's new ballot harvesting law. The law, passed earlier this year, made it a Class C felony for a third party to knowingly receive a payment or gift for distributing, ordering, requesting, collecting, completing, prefilling, obtaining or delivering a voter's absentee ballot application.
In September, Chief U.S. District Judge David Proctor granted a partial preliminary injunction on parts of the law after the ACLU, NAACP, and other groups filed the lawsuit. The partial injunction removed the law's penalties for giving payment or gifts in exchange for assistance with absentee ballots only for blind, disabled, or illiterate voters.
While expressing displeasure at the partial blocking of the law, Marshall applauded the legislature's efforts while also lamenting the left-wing narrative pinned on Alabama, accusing Allen and others of voter suppression.
"[W]hile we were successful in defending that law on almost all of it, Judge Proctor did rule on one particular provision relating to those with disabilities or certain conditions that qualify under a federal act to somehow or another be, in his idea, unconstitutional and unlawful," Marshall said. And so, we sought a stay from the 11th Circuit, didn't get it, but we still have the ability to contest Judge Proctor's ruling on that limited nature. And if we're unsuccessful, then I think the legislature has the opportunity to come back potentially and craft some language around it."
He continued, "I expect that Alabama will turn out well in this upcoming cycle. There is no evidence that can be shown of voter suppression in our state. Despite the wailing and gnashing of teeth from many of the activists, the facts are what the facts are. You used to tell juries all the time that facts are stubborn things. That despite your protestations to the contrary, what does the data show you? And it shows you that Alabama has made significant strides. It's one of the frustrations, honestly, within the battles that we've had on redistricting and what's gone on with the federal courts and the assessment of Alabama, is that it's like that has been failed to be acknowledged in a way that I think is truly appropriate and we'll continue to fight those fights in the courts."
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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