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Four Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University (AAMU) students are suing the state of Alabama for voter suppression. Jordan Jackson, Kendra Jones, Terry Matthews III, and Simeon Sykes registered to vote before the state deadline but were asked to cast provisional ballots, which stated they were not certified and would not count toward the election, Citizen Truth reported.

The students believe since the university is an HBCU the school’s polling location a target for voter suppression. The lawsuit states, 70.5 percent of Black registered voters in their county are between the ages of 18 – 21, which are believed to be mainly college-age students.

All four students names were confirmed as registered voters on Alabama’s website, but polling officials told them they were not. The complaint stated:

“During the weeks preceding the November 2018 election, many AAMU students experienced barriers to registering to vote, which, on information and belief, are attributable to defendants’ actions. These included unjustifiable rejections or delayed processing of student’s voter registration applications and students being placed on inactive status for improper reasons.”

The students allege their 14th, 15th and 26th amendment rights were violated alongside those protected under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and Voting Rights Act of 1965.

The suit is directed at Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill, the Madison County Board of Registrars and its chair, Lynda Hairston.

The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund is representing the students in court. Catherine Meza released a statement stating, “Nothing is more fundamental than the right to vote, and these students, despite complying with all of Alabama’s regulations, were denied that right.”

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