HB19 Alabama 2011 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Kerry Rich

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2011

Title

Elections, photo identification required to register to vote, Secretary of State required to issue identification cards to persons without photo identification at no cost, Sec. 17-9-30 am'd.; Act 2010-687, 2010 Reg. Sess. am'd. (2011-20004)

Summary

HB19 requires valid photo ID to vote in Alabama and directs the Secretary of State to provide free photo ID cards to voters who lack ID.

What This Bill Does

It amends the voter ID rule to require valid photo identification for in-person voting and broadens acceptable ID types. The Secretary of State must issue Alabama photo voter identification cards at no cost to those without ID, and may use a private vendor to produce them. If a voter cannot meet the ID requirements, they may vote a provisional ballot or be positively identified by two election officials with a sworn affidavit; absentee ballots require a copy of an ID; the measures take effect in the first statewide primary in 2014.

Who It Affects

• Registered Alabama electors who do not currently have a valid photo identification; they can obtain a free Alabama photo voter identification card from the Secretary of State.
• Voters voting in person who do not present valid photo ID; they can vote with a provisional ballot or be positively identified by two election officials who sign an affidavit.

Key Provisions

• A voter must present valid photo identification to vote in person, with a list of acceptable IDs including government IDs, state or private college IDs with a photo, U.S. passports, and documents showing name and birth date.
• The Secretary of State must issue Alabama photo voter identification cards at no cost to eligible registered voters who lack valid ID, and may contract with a private vendor to produce the cards.
• Absentee ballots must include a copy of one of the listed forms of identification.
• If a voter cannot meet the ID requirements, they may vote by provisional ballot or be positively identified by two election officials who sign a sworn affidavit; municipal elections are exempt from the two-official identification provision.
• The Alabama photo voter identification card remains valid as long as the voter stays in the same address and remains qualified to vote, with surrender or renewal rules if the voter moves within or out of Alabama.
• Fraud in the application for an Alabama photo voter identification card constitutes a Class C felony; costs are funded from the General Fund for Registration of Voters; the act includes rulemaking and public information provisions.

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