MONTGOMERY, AL — Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen has publicly praised the final passage of Senate Bill 158, sponsored by Senator Will Barfoot and carried in the House by Representative Allen Treadaway. The legislation explicitly prohibits the use of foreign national driver licenses as valid identification for voting purposes in Alabama.
Secretary Allen described the bill as a significant step toward enhancing election integrity in the state.
“Ensuring that only American citizens are voting in our elections has been a top priority of mine since day one,” Allen said. “This legislation helps defeat noncitizen attempts to dilute the vote of legal American citizens and strengthens Alabama’s safeguards against noncitizen voting.”
Under existing federal and state law, noncitizens are prohibited from registering to vote or casting ballots in U.S. elections. However, prior to SB158, Alabama law did not explicitly ban the use of foreign national driver licenses as a form of photo identification at polling places. The new law clarifies the types of ID that are considered acceptable for voting.
“As Secretary, I have strengthened our voter registration policies by requiring a verifiable Alabama driver license number or social security number at the time of registration, making it impossible for a noncitizen to register to vote without committing blatant fraud,” Allen said. “Now, SB158 will give our local election officials definitive backing to deny someone attempting to vote with a foreign national driver license and eliminate any confusion about what is and is not acceptable.”
SB158 adds to a broader effort in Alabama to implement election-related reforms aimed at preventing fraud and improving transparency. The bill passed with majority support in both chambers of the Alabama Legislature.
“I extend my sincerest gratitude to Senator Barfoot and Representative Treadaway for sponsoring SB158 and for pushing it to the finish line,” Allen said. “This legislation codifies an important common-sense election integrity measure that will protect the vote of every Alabamian.”
With the governor’s signature, SB158 is now set to become law, reinforcing Alabama’s identification requirements for voting and further specifying documentation standards for election officials statewide.
