SB214 Alabama 2010 Session

Under existing law, there is an established procedure for the restoration of voting rights of felons who have satisfactorily completed conditions of their sentence. Restoration of voting rights is made through an application to the Board of Pardons and Parole

Under Article VIII of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, now appearing as Article VIII, Section 177 of the Official Recompilation of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended, a citizen loses the right to vote if convicted of a felony involving moral turpitude

This bill would create the Alabama Restoration of Voting Rights Act

This bill would provide for legislative findings and purposes and would provide a definition of moral turpitude that lists the crimes which disqualify otherwise eligible citizens from voting

This bill would provide for the automatic restoration of voting rights of a person who has been convicted of a felony involving moral turpitude when he or she is discharged from incarceration

This bill would specify responsibilities of the Secretary of State concerning such voter restoration

This bill would amend certain existing sections of the Code of Alabama 1975, to conform with such restoration process and would amend provisions relating to absentee voting to expressly apply to persons who are eligible to vote and are incarcerated

This bill would also establish a temporary legislative oversight committee and a task force to monitor the restoration of voting rights

This bill would have retroactive effect

To provide for the Alabama Restoration of Voting Rights Act; to define acts involving moral turpitude; to provide for legislative findings and purposes; and to provide further for Chapter 3 of Title 17 of the Code of Alabama 1975, by adding a new Section 17-3-30.1 to list the offenses that constitute a felony involving moral turpitude; to provide for the Alabama Restoration of Voting Rights Act; to amend Sections 17-3-31, 17-4-6, 17-4-60, 17-11-3, and 17-11-7, Code of Alabama 1975; to provide that a person who has been convicted of a felony involving moral turpitude would have his or her voting rights restored when he or she is discharged from incarceration; to establish a temporary legislative oversight committee; to repeal Section 15-22-36.1, Code of Alabama 1975; and to provide for a retroactive effect.