Esternita Watkins became an American citizen nearly two years ago and was looking forward to voting in her first presidential election. However, she received a letter from the Alabama Secretary of State stating that her voter registration was deactivated due to a noncitizen identification number. Watkins had gone through an expensive naturalization process and was frustrated by the letter and unsure if she wanted to re-register. Republican officials like the Secretary of State have been cracking down on voter rolls to prevent noncitizens from voting, which could impact naturalized citizens like Watkins. A total of 3,251 voter registrations in Alabama were flagged for removal as part of this process. While the officials claim to be targeting noncitizens, it is possible for naturalized citizens to be caught up in these purges. Watkins had already proven her citizenship when she first registered, and her husband called the process a burden and a form of voter suppression. Efforts to determine why she was flagged were unsuccessful, and local officials suggested she re-register. Voting rights advocates are concerned that the process violates federal voting law and discriminates against naturalized citizens. The Secretary of State has not yet responded to their demands to stop the process. Despite these challenges, eligible voters can update their registration on election day according to the Secretary of State. The situation highlights the ongoing debate over voter suppression and voter rights in the United States.
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Crackdowns by the GOP on voting by noncitizens caught up newly naturalized Americans
