Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen removed 186 noncitizens from the state's voter rolls in January 2026 after verifying their status through the federal SAVE (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements) program. Among those illegally registered, 25 had actually cast ballots in previous elections.

The discovery came after Allen entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Homeland Security's Citizenship and Immigration Services, giving his office access to federal immigration databases. The verification process confirmed that nearly 200 individuals who were not American citizens had managed to register to vote in Alabama.

The Federal Government's Role

Allen has been outspoken about what he calls federal complicity in the problem. His office revealed that the federal government has been providing voter registration forms to noncitizens, essentially inviting ineligible individuals into the electoral process.

"Election integrity is a top priority of this office and nobody, not even President Biden, is going to get me to back down from that," Allen stated when announcing his findings.

The discovery adds fuel to the ongoing national debate over the SAVE Act, which would require documentary proof of citizenship before voter registration. Republicans argue such measures are necessary to prevent foreign nationals from participating in American elections. Democrats have generally opposed the legislation, claiming noncitizen voting is rare and that such requirements create barriers for legitimate voters.

Evidence Undermines Claims of Rarity

The Alabama case directly contradicts assertions from left-leaning groups that noncitizen voting is virtually nonexistent. Critics of election integrity measures often claim such concerns are overblown or based on conspiracy theories.

Yet here sits concrete evidence. Not only were 186 noncitizens found on Alabama's rolls, but 25 of them voted. These were not hypothetical threats or theoretical vulnerabilities. They were actual illegal votes cast in American elections.

"Our elections must be decided by American citizens and American citizens alone," Allen emphasized. "Under my watch, illegal registration and illegal voting by noncitizens will not be tolerated in Alabama."

Justice Department Lawsuit

Rather than applauding Alabama's cleanup effort, the Biden Justice Department sued the state in September 2024, arguing that removing these voters too close to an election violated federal law. The case highlights the tension between federal agencies pushing back against states attempting to verify voter eligibility and state officials determined to ensure only citizens participate in elections.

Allen acknowledged that some individuals identified in the initial review may have subsequently become naturalized citizens. However, he maintained that the state has both the right and the responsibility to verify voter eligibility.

National Implications

Alabama's findings raise serious questions about voter rolls in other states. If one state using federal databases can identify nearly 200 noncitizen registrations, how many might exist nationwide in states that do not conduct similar verification?

The MEGA (Make Elections Great Again) Act, sponsored by Congressman Bryan Steil, would strengthen federal requirements for citizenship verification in voter registration. Allen has publicly backed the legislation as a necessary step toward ensuring American elections remain decided by American citizens.

For conservatives, the Alabama case represents vindication. For years, they have warned about vulnerabilities in the voter registration system that could allow noncitizens to vote. Now they have documented proof from a state that took the initiative to verify its rolls.

The question facing the nation is whether other states will follow Alabama's example or continue to accept assurances that noncitizen voting simply does not happen. The evidence from Alabama suggests those assurances are wrong.