MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WHNT) — Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen is touting new security measures. That includes a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security and adding an invisible emblem to election ballots.
“Full stop. Period. We have zero tolerance for any noncitizens that attempt to register to vote and vote in our elections,” said Secretary Allen.
That’s why he says he’s putting a hidden emblem on election ballots. Secretary Allen said that, since this emblem is a security measure, he could not provide details on what it would look like.
“It will only be detectable by specialized equipment that will be given to the local election officials, and it will vary to make sure we further protect the elections process here in Alabama,” he explained.
However, some people are concerned that this extra protection could be used to disenfranchise voters.
“If it is invisible, there is a question as to the checks and balances and who is making sure the emblem is, in fact, on every ballot that is cast,” said Jessica Fortune Barker, founder of Lift Our Vote. “So that, voters, all of their votes, actually do count.”
Barker said she works with marginalized communities to make sure they are registered to vote, and she stresses the importance of using that right. With the state also rolling out a program to verify the citizenship of voters, she said, voter suppression is a concern.
“Voter suppression is going to be new tactics that we’ve never seen before,” she said. “And we really have to pay attention to how they are trying to marginalize certain groups and voices from being able to exercise their right to vote.”
But Secretary Allen said otherwise.
“This is just an extra layer of election integrity to fortify elections,” he said. “And I think the public out there, I think the taxpayer, and the voters, appreciate that.”
Allen said these new ballots will start being used next year, in the 2026 election cycle. He said his office is still implementing the SAVE Program to verify the citizenship of registered voters in the state. That’s after signing the agreement with the Department of Homeland Security last week.
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