Alabama Secretary of State Allen Accuses Trump-Backed Challenger Wahl of Using ‘Fake ID’ to Vote

In a dramatic turn of Alabama politics, Secretary of State Wes Allen has accused his newest rival for lieutenant governor, former state Republican Party Chairman John Wahl, of voting with a “homemade fake ID” in a campaign video released Sunday.

The allegation comes just days after Wahl qualified to run for lieutenant governor shortly before Friday’s deadline, stepping down from his GOP leadership position as required by party bylaws. Wahl’s last-minute entry followed an endorsement from former President Donald Trump on Thursday night, adding a significant dynamic to the race.

“I’ve worked hard to make sure our state has the strictest voter ID laws in the country to protect our elections,” Allen stated in his video posted to Facebook and Instagram. “My opponent, Nehemiah John Wahl, admitted he tried to vote using a homemade fake ID. We cannot be more different.”

Allen, who has been campaigning for the lieutenant governor position since February 2023 and was elected secretary of state in 2022, further claimed, “I, like President Trump, support voter ID laws while my opponent breaks them.”

Wahl quickly responded to the allegations, suggesting Allen was “frustrated by how the last few days have gone for his campaign, particularly after President Donald Trump endorsed me.” Wahl added, “I’m sorry he has chosen to respond with personal attacks and claims that simply aren’t true.”

The controversy dates back to October 2022, when AL.com columnist Kyle Whitmire reported that Wahl had voted using an ID card that former state auditor Jim Zeigler helped create. The card featured Wahl’s photo and identified him as “Regional Press Secretary” for “The Office of State Auditor.”

Zeigler, now a candidate for Alabama Public Service Commission Place 2, defended the ID on Sunday, stating, “The claim that the ID from the Auditor’s Office used by John Wahl was homemade or fake is simply false. I approved the ID as State Auditor, and it was professionally printed by a vendor — not homemade.”

According to Zeigler, the ID was necessary because the auditor’s office “was badly understaffed and had no media person.” He explained that Wahl, a private citizen, had “generously agreed (at my request) to send press releases at no cost,” and the ID was required by the email service to send communications on behalf of a government office.

However, former Secretary of State John Merrill has previously stated that the custom-made ID card was not a legal form of identification to vote under Alabama’s photo voter ID law. Merrill filed a complaint about Wahl’s use of the ID to the district attorney in Limestone County, where Wahl voted, which was later forwarded to Attorney General Steve Marshall.

When Allen became secretary of state in 2023, he reportedly forwarded a similar complaint about Wahl’s use of the ID to Marshall. As of June 2024, Marshall had not responded to questions about the state Republican Party chairman voting with what some officials consider an invalid ID.

Wahl defended his record on Sunday night, stating, “My record on voter ID and election integrity as Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party is clear and well documented. I have consistently supported voter ID laws, worked to strengthen election integrity measures, and personally helped organize and deploy more than 200 trained poll watchers to Georgia to defend the integrity of the vote for President Trump in the last election.”

He added, “I am proud to have President Trump’s endorsement and I am in complete agreement with his stand on voter ID.”

The lieutenant governor race has become increasingly crowded with Republican candidates, including Alabama Agriculture and Industries Commissioner Rick Pate, Opelika pastor Dean Odle, Cullman County deputy Patrick Bishop, commercial real estate developer Nicole Wadsworth, George Childress, and Dr. Stewart Hill Tankersley.

This controversy highlights the intensifying battle for the Republican nomination ahead of the May 19 primary, with voter ID laws and election integrity emerging as key issues in the campaign. The unexpected entrance of a Trump-endorsed candidate has clearly altered the dynamics of a race that Allen had been contesting for more than a year.