Governor Kay Ivey on Wednesday, March 20, signed Senate Bill 1, sponsored by Sen. Garlan Gudger and Rep. Jamie Kiel, which the governor says, "will strengthen the fairness and integrity of Alabama elections."
The proposal will outlaw paid assistance with absentee ballot applications. The new law makes it a misdemeanor to distribute a pre-filled absentee ballot application to a voter or return another voter's completed application.
It will become a felony under the new law to give, or receive, a payment or gift “for distributing, ordering, requesting, collecting, completing, prefilling, obtaining, or delivering a voter’s absentee ballot application.”
Alabama Republicans said the legislation is needed to combat voter fraud through “ballot harvesting,” a term for the collection of multiple absentee ballots.
“Here in Alabama, we are committed to ensuring our elections are free and fair," said Ivey in a press release. "I commend Secretary of State Wes Allen, as well as members of the Alabama Legislature for making election security a priority, and I am proud to officially sign Senate Bill 1 into law. Under my watch, there will be no funny business in Alabama elections.”
After the governor signed SB1, Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen offered the following comment: “Free and fair elections are the foundation of our constitutional republic. The passage of SB1 signals to ballot harvesters that Alabama votes are not for sale. The Alabama Legislature and Governor Ivey have made it clear that Alabama voters have the right to cast their own vote without undue influence.”
Alabama Democrats have argued that there is no proof that ballot harvesting exists and called it an attempt to suppress voting by absentee ballot. State Dems and several advocacy groups said the legislation is aimed at trying to make it harder for people vote by absentee ballot.
“It's just another voter suppression. It's just a means of suppressing certain people from having the ability and right to access to the free flowing of the vote," Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton said.
Read more about the proposal here.
