Alabama's Voter List Costs $37,000, Raising Legal Concerns

Alabama's voter registration list is priced at approximately $37,000, the highest cost in the nation, prompting legal scrutiny from the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF). This fee is more than two-thirds of the annual salary of the average Alabama worker.

Explainer Alabama's Voter List Costs $37,000, Raising Legal Concerns

The PILF claims that Alabama's pricing structure violates the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA), which mandates that states make voter databases available for public inspection at a reasonable cost. In a formal letter to Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen, the foundation asserted that the current system makes it nearly impossible for the public to access voter registration records.

"Charging tens of thousands of dollars or offering no workable alternative is clearly not in compliance with the NVRA," said J. Christian Adams, president of PILF. He emphasized that the NVRA was designed to ensure transparency in voter roll maintenance.

Alabama's fee for a digital copy of its voter rolls is set at 1 cent per voter, leading to the exorbitant total. The state has also stated that it can no longer provide paper copies of the records, which PILF argues is a violation of the NVRA's requirements for photocopy reproduction.

The PILF's letter referenced a 2024 ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, which upheld the NVRA's photocopy and reasonable cost requirements. However, the ruling clarified that states are not obligated to distribute voter roll information electronically, leaving Alabama's current policy intact.

In response to the PILF's request, Elections Director Jeff Elrod cited technology limitations, stating that producing a printed copy of the statewide voter file would be extremely costly and likely result in an unusable product. He noted that just the records for Mobile County would require approximately 30,000 legal-size pages.

Critics, including PILF, argue that the high cost and cumbersome process effectively shut down public oversight of voter rolls. "It seems the post-Greater Birmingham Ministries world of NVRA compliance is noncompliance," the letter stated, highlighting the challenges faced by the foundation in obtaining the data it is entitled to under the law.

Lanie Rawls, communications director for the secretary of state’s office, defended the pricing structure, stating it is based on Alabama law and longstanding precedent. She mentioned that Secretary Allen is considering revising the current fee schedule during the next session of the Alabama Legislature.

Alabama's voter list pricing is nearly three times higher than that of Wisconsin, which charges $12,500 for a full statewide voter registration list. Other states, such as Florida, New York, and Ohio, provide this information free of charge.

Douglas Blair, director of communications at PILF, emphasized that the issue transcends political lines. "It’s about upholding election integrity and transparency," he said. Blair called the $37,000 charge "obscene," arguing that it should not cost more to access federally mandated voter rolls than to purchase a new car.

Earlier this year, PILF reached a settlement with New Mexico's Secretary of State, resulting in a reduction of that state's voter roll cost from over $5,000 to $600, citing similar violations of the NVRA.

As Alabama faces mounting pressure to revise its voter list pricing, the PILF has urged the state to consider alternative solutions, suggesting a more collaborative approach to address the issues surrounding voter registration transparency.