HB331 Alabama 2010 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Cam Ward

Republican

Co-Sponsors

Mike HillJimmy Martin

Session

Regular Session 2010

Title

Elections, absentee voting, persons authorized to apply for and vote by absentee ballot or emergency absentee ballot include spouse or primary caretaker of physically ill or infirm person or spouse or primary caretaker of person requiring emergency medical treatment certain number of days prior to election, Sec. 17-11-3 am'd.

Summary

HB331 would expand absentee voting to include spouses or primary caretakers of people who are physically ill or require emergency medical treatment within five days of an election.

What This Bill Does

It adds two new eligibility categories for absentee voting: spouses or primary caretakers of a physically ill or infirm person, and spouses or primary caretakers of someone who requires emergency medical treatment within five days of an election, for both standard absentee and emergency absentee ballots. It creates an emergency absentee voting process that requires a physician-certified description on a special form, with ballots returned by noon on Election Day when the emergency occurs. It extends emergency ballot options to situations where a person must leave the county due to employment or education and includes an affidavit-based process for these cases, along with rules for handling potential duplicate ballots. Overall, it adds safeguards for how such ballots are handled and specifies when the act would take effect after passage.

Who It Affects

• Registered electors who are the spouse or primary caretaker of a person with a physical illness or infirmity, enabling them to apply for and vote by absentee ballot.
• Registered electors who are the spouse or primary caretaker of a person who requires emergency medical treatment within five days before an election, enabling them to apply for and vote by emergency absentee ballot.

Key Provisions

• Amends Section 17-11-3 to include spouses or primary caretakers of physically ill or infirm persons as eligible to apply for and vote by absentee ballot.
• Adds spouses or primary caretakers of persons needing emergency medical treatment within five days before an election as eligible to apply for and vote by emergency absentee ballot.
• Requires physician certification on a special form describing emergency circumstances for emergency absentee ballots and attaches this form to the application.
• Allows emergency absentee ballots when an employer requires the voter to be out of the county on an unforeseen emergency business trip, with a specified process and affidavit.
• If more than one absentee ballot is cast in a single voter's name, none of the ballots are opened or counted until an election contest is resolved; after resolution, ballots may be handled by the district attorney and state attorneys general as appropriate.
• Effective date: the act becomes law on the first day of the third month after passage and approval by the Governor.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Elections