Caroleene Dobson Targets Shomari Figures’ SAVE Act Vote in Secretary of State Race

MOBILE, Ala. — Caroleene Dobson, the Republican nominee for Alabama secretary of state, accused U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Mobile, of voting against what she called basic election security measures in Congress, including the SAVE Act, a bill that would require people to show proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote.

The criticism is a rematch of sorts. Dobson was the Republican nominee who lost to Figures in the 2024 race for Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. This year she is running statewide for the office that oversees Alabama’s elections, while Figures is seeking a second term in a redrawn 2nd District against state Rep. Rhett Marques, R-Enterprise. The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

What Dobson said

In a written statement, Dobson pointed to Figures’ vote against the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, known as the SAVE Act.

“Shomari Figures has routinely voted against the most basic ballot box protections that have come before Congress and even opposed requiring proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote,” Dobson said. “If given the opportunity, Shomari Figures and his allies like Ilhan Omar, AOC, and Bernie Sanders would subject Alabama and the rest of the nation to fraudulent ballot harvesting, rampant election fraud, and allowing illegal immigrants to register to vote.”

Dobson also cited Figures’ vote against at least one other measure that she described as one that “requires individuals to provide documentary proof of citizenship, as well as photo identification, in order to vote.”

She urged voters to back Marques in the 2nd District.

“Electing Republican Rhett Marques to the Second Congressional seat on November 3 will ensure that honestly cast votes are honestly counted and those who seek to cheat or taint our election system will experience the discomfort of living in a six foot by eight-foot jail cell,” Dobson said.

The characterizations of Figures’ positions in Dobson’s statement are campaign claims. A response from Figures to her statement was not immediately available.

Where Figures has said he stands

Figures has spoken publicly about voter identification and the SAVE Act before. In April, after a clip from one of his town halls circulated online, he told a reporter that he supports requiring identification to vote and that he had not kept that position secret. “It’s not as if I’ve made a secret about my position on this,” he said.

At the town hall, while discussing the SAVE Act, Figures noted that nearly everyone in the room had an ID and said attitudes had changed since decades ago, when “a lot of voters did not have IDs.” He then asked how many in the audience could “put your hand on your birth certificate right now,” a reference to the kind of citizenship documents the bill would require for registration.

That concern mirrors the main argument many Democrats and voting rights groups have made against the SAVE Act: that eligible U.S. citizens who cannot readily produce a birth certificate or passport, including people whose names have changed through marriage, could have trouble registering. Supporters of the bill, including Republican leaders, say documentary proof of citizenship is a reasonable safeguard to make sure only citizens are added to voter rolls.

What the SAVE Act would do

The SAVE Act would amend the National Voter Registration Act to require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship, such as a passport or birth certificate, to register to vote in federal elections. It passed the U.S. House in April 2025, largely along party lines.

Under current federal law, it is already illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections, and voters registering must attest under penalty of law that they are citizens. Alabama separately requires voters to show a valid photo ID at the polls, a requirement in effect since 2014, and the state offers free voter ID cards through the Secretary of State’s Office and county boards of registrars.

The issue has local resonance this fall. Federal prosecutors recently charged two lawful permanent residents with voting illegally in Baldwin and Clarke County elections, cases the Justice Department on Oct. 12 included among 16 illegal voting arrests nationwide. Those defendants are presumed innocent. Read our coverage of those cases. Studies and state audits have generally found noncitizen voting to be rare relative to the total number of ballots cast.

Dobson’s plan for an ‘election integrity division’

In a televised interview Friday, Dobson described her central proposal for the secretary of state’s office: a new unit focused on enforcing election laws.

“We have some really good laws in place. There’s always more laws we could put in place to help further shore up our elections,” Dobson said. “But what my main objective is to create an election integrity division within the Office of Secretary of State, a group of dedicated professionals and experts who can work on objectively enforcing these good laws.”

“Because we can have all the great laws on the books all day long,” she added, “and if there’s no one tasked with enforcing them or working through the post-election audit process, then they’re really not worth the code books they’re written in.”

When she launched her campaign in 2025, Dobson said she wanted an enforcement unit modeled on one in Florida that investigates voter fraud and other election crimes. She also called for legislation allowing statewide post-election audits, pledged to reduce fees on Alabama businesses and streamline public services, and said she would advocate for President Donald Trump’s election reform proposals.

Who the candidates are

Caroleene Dobson

Dobson is an attorney and a shareholder at the Maynard Nexsen law firm in Montgomery, where her practice has focused on natural resources, commercial finance and real estate law. She graduated from Harvard College and Baylor University School of Law. In 2024 she won the Republican nomination in the 2nd Congressional District, which a federal court had redrawn after ruling that Alabama’s previous map diluted the voting strength of Black residents, and lost the general election to Figures.

The secretary of state race

Dobson faces Democratic nominee Wayne Rogers in November. The incumbent, Republican Wes Allen, is not seeking another term as secretary of state.

Shomari Figures

Figures, a Mobile native, won the 2nd District seat in 2024. Before running for Congress he worked in the Obama White House and served at the U.S. Department of Justice as a counselor to Attorney General Merrick Garland. He has made affordability, especially fuel prices and the effects of tariffs on farmers and manufacturers, a central theme of his campaign. Figures has accepted three debate invitations; Marques has said he will not debate. Read more on the debate dispute.

What the secretary of state does

The secretary of state is Alabama’s chief election official. The office maintains the statewide voter registration list, oversees election administration with county probate judges, boards of registrars and circuit clerks, and certifies election results. It also handles business entity filings, such as corporation and LLC records, along with other official state records.

Because Alabama’s county officials run day-to-day election operations, many proposals from secretary of state candidates, including new audit requirements or enforcement units, would require action from the Legislature or added funding to take effect.

What voters should know

• Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026.
• Check your registration: Voters can confirm their registration status and polling place through the Secretary of State’s Office at AlabamaVotes.gov or with their county board of registrars.
• Bring a photo ID: Alabama requires a valid photo ID to vote in person. Free voter ID cards are available for those who need one.
• Absentee voting: Voters who qualify to vote absentee should apply through their county absentee election manager well before Election Day.