By Sheila McNeil, Chair of the Madison County Democratic Executive Committee
Sheila McNeil, Chair of the Madison County Democratic Executive Committee
(Huntsville, AL) Madison County voters are urgently being asked to take the time to check their voter registration status and ensure that it is active. We have received reports that voters attempting to vote in-person absentee have been purged from the Madison County voter database. This means they are having to jump extra hurdles to vote.
We hope this won’t discourage them from completing the voting process. But some may be. And this would be unfortunate because the last day to register to vote is seven days away – October 21st – and in-person absentee voting ends on October 31st.
While I want to believe that the Board of Registers is acting in good faith, purging voter records this close to a major election is suspect. Purging is when election officials delete names from the voter rolls to remove outdated registrations or ineligible registrants. Voters must be mindful of this to avoid unexpected roadblocks when they go to the polls in November. According to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, over 19 million voters were removed from the rolls between 2020 and 2022.
Alabama has a history of voter suppression, and with the stakes as high as they are in this election, we have to make sure every vote can be counted. Given this history, voters must routinely practice checking their voter registration status, especially newly registered voters. While being purged or considered inactive can be disappointing, all of us need to understand what this designation means and know our rights.
Anyone listed as “inactive” is still entitled to vote with a regular ballot on election day so long as they are at the correct polling place and fill out a short reidentification form. Alabama Code § 17-4-9 explains that an inactive voter “shall be permitted to vote provided the voter completes a voter reidentification form.”
Purges are events that happen in Alabama every four years. Voters listed as inactive may or may not be in the group of people who are on a potential purge list. This is due to having a mailer from the Secretary of State’s office returned to their Board of Registrars as undeliverable and not responding to a confirmation/update card within 90 days. Most importantly, even if they are on a potential purge list, voting with a regular ballot on election day will remove them from that list. Filling out the reidentification form at the polls will change their status back to “active.”
Remember that your vote is powerful. It can help bring about the change we need. Please make sure you check your voter registration before you go to the polls, regardless of whether you vote absentee or on election day. Check your voter registration at https://myinfo.alabamavotes.gov/voterview.