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

What's happening

Alabama's Voter List Costs $37,000, Raising Legal Concerns — On Thursday, 22 GOP members of the Michigan House and Senate sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi requesting that the Department of Justice (DOJ) send election monitors to oversee Michigan’s 2026 primary and general elections. The lawmakers expressed concern over the state's chief election official, Democrat Jocelyn Benson, who is running for governor and will oversee her own election results. Explainer Supreme Court Petition Challenges Michigan's Voter Roll Maintenance The GOP lawmakers highlighted the potential conflict of interest, stating, "Secretary Benson will be administering an election in which she has a direct personal stake in the outcome. Such a situation risks compromising the impartiality required for fair election oversight and demands external federal scrutiny to maintain public trust." They referenced recent DOJ monitoring efforts in California and for the Nov. 4 election as a precedent for their request. Benson has faced criticism for her refusal to share Michigan’s statewide voter registration lists with federal authorities. 25 to obtain these records from Michigan and four other Democrat-led states, arguing that it hinders enforcement of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) and the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). Benson contends that she is protecting citizens' private information from federal access. The lack of transparency in has raised alarms, particularly after a lawsuit from the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) claimed that Benson failed to maintain accurate voter registration lists. Recent media reports have suggested that the 'full, complete' presidential pardons issued by former President Donald Trump related to the 2020 election cannot shield individuals from state charges. Constitution's pardon clause only applies to federal offenses.

What's at stake

However, proponents of Trump's pardons contend that this interpretation is incorrect. Explainer Supreme Court Questions Legality of Trump's Emergency Tariffs The pardon clause, as outlined in the Constitution, grants the president the power to issue pardons for offenses against the United States, with the exception of impeachment cases. Legal experts note that attempts to limit the scope of this clause have consistently failed in court. The concept of dual sovereignty in the U.S. legal system, which recognizes both federal and state jurisdictions, is said to be subject to the supremacy clause. This means that state laws cannot restrict the president's pardon powers. Advocates for Trump's pardons argue that the 77 individuals recently pardoned—including alternate electors, federal officials, and activists—were acting in defense of , thus justifying their pardons under the president's authority. Coldwater, Kansas, Mayor Joe Ceballos was reelected to a second four-year term this week, but the celebration was short-lived as Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach filed election fraud charges against him the following day. Ceballos, 54, is a legal permanent resident of the United States and a citizen of Mexico, which raises questions about his eligibility to vote in U.S.

Explainer Reelected Kansas Mayor Faces Charges Of Voting As Noncitizen Kobach stated, "In Kansas, it is against the law to vote if you are not a U.S. Ceballos did it ." Ceballos faces three counts of voting without being qualified and three counts of election perjury, charges that could lead to more than five years in prison. He is accused of voting in the 2022 and 2023 general elections, as well as the 2024 primary election, despite being registered to vote since 1990. Additionally, they have challenged President Donald Trump’s executive order that mandates documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration. Explainer Election Integrity Activists Launch Nationwide Bus Tour to Support SAVE Act Critics argue that the Democratic opposition to these measures suggests an intention to allow noncitizens to participate in U.S. Deputy spokeswoman Abigail Jackson stated, "President Trump has exercised his lawful authority to ensure only American citizens are casting ballots in American elections. While Ceballos was not charged for holding office, Kobach noted that Kansas law requires city officers to be qualified electors, which includes being a U.S. Democrats in Congress have opposed legislation aimed at ensuring that only U.S. They voted against the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act in the House and have stalled it in the Senate. What to watch next is whether new filings, agency actions, votes, or court decisions change the timeline—and how officials respond in the weeks ahead.

Why it matters

The coverage highlights: Michigan GOP Urges DOJ To Monitor 2026 Election. The coverage highlights: Trump's 'Complete' Pardons Cover Bogus State Election Charges. The coverage highlights: WI's Leftist Supreme Court Justices Have A Recusal Problem. The coverage highlights: Reelected Kansas Mayor Faces Charges Of Voting As Noncitizen. The coverage highlights: Dems Try To Sabotage Push For Proof Of Citizenship To Vote. The coverage highlights: Maine Voters Reject Photo ID Requirement in Election.

Key facts & context

2025-11-14: Michigan GOP Urges DOJ To Monitor 2026 Election. 2025-11-14: Trump's 'Complete' Pardons Cover Bogus State Election Charges. 2025-11-13: WI's Leftist Supreme Court Justices Have A Recusal Problem. 2025-11-06: Reelected Kansas Mayor Faces Charges Of Voting As Noncitizen. 2025-11-06: Dems Try To Sabotage Push For Proof Of Citizenship To Vote. 2025-11-05: Maine Voters Reject Photo ID Requirement in Election. 2025-10-21: Texas Identifies 2,700 Potential Noncitizens on Voter Rolls. 2025-10-20: Leftist Groups Try To Nuke Wildly Popular Voter Citizenship Rule. 2025-10-20: Wisconsin Election Officials Face Scrutiny Over Voter Registration Compliance. 2025-10-01: Former Iowa Superintendent's Voter Registration Raises Concerns.

Timeline & key developments

2025-11-14: Michigan GOP Urges DOJ To Monitor 2026 Election. 2025-11-14: Trump's 'Complete' Pardons Cover Bogus State Election Charges. 2025-11-13: WI's Leftist Supreme Court Justices Have A Recusal Problem. 2025-11-06: Reelected Kansas Mayor Faces Charges Of Voting As Noncitizen. 2025-11-06: Dems Try To Sabotage Push For Proof Of Citizenship To Vote. 2025-11-05: Maine Voters Reject Photo ID Requirement in Election. 2025-10-21: Texas Identifies 2,700 Potential Noncitizens on Voter Rolls. 2025-10-20: Leftist Groups Try To Nuke Wildly Popular Voter Citizenship Rule. 2025-10-20: Wisconsin Election Officials Face Scrutiny Over Voter Registration Compliance.

Primary sources

• National Voter Registration Act 1993 Nvra — justice.gov
• BILLS 103hr2rfs — govinfo.gov
• storage.courtlistener.com PDF
• Voter Information Kbo 2022 04 07 — docs.legis.wisconsin.gov

Further reading & references

• (Additional background links will appear here as we cover this topic.)