HB369 Alabama 2012 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Paul Beckman

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2012

Title

Elections, absentee voting authorized to appy for and vote by absentee ballot, ballot to include primary caretaker of physically incapacitated person and person incarcerated but not yet convicted, emergency absentee voting permitted for caretaker of a person who requires emergency medical treatment and person with personal business emergencies, and to authorize Secretary of State rulemaking authority, Secs. 17-11-3, 17-11-4, 17-11-5, 17-11-7, 17-11-18 am'd

Summary

HB369 would expand absentee and emergency absentee voting to include caretakers of incapacitated persons, incarcerated individuals who are not disqualified by crime, and voters facing medical or personal business emergencies, with the Secretary of State gaining rulemaking power to define additional emergencies.

What This Bill Does

It adds caretakers of physically incapacitated people and incarcerated but not-yet-disqualified individuals to the list of people who can apply for and vote by absentee ballot. It creates new emergency absentee voting options for medical emergencies within five days of an election and for personal business emergencies, including work-related travel and funerals, with specific application and certification requirements. It also gives the Secretary of State authority to identify other types of personal emergencies and to establish the forms and procedures for these new voting options.

Who It Affects

• Registered voters who are primary caretakers of a physically incapacitated person or who are incarcerated but have not been convicted of a disqualifying crime, enabling them to apply for and vote by absentee ballot.
• Registered voters who face emergencies near an election (medical emergencies within five days or personal business emergencies) who would be eligible to vote by emergency absentee ballot, with the SOS defining additional emergencies in the future.

Key Provisions

• Expands absentee voting to include caretakers of physically incapacitated persons and incarcerated individuals not disqualified from voting.
• Allows emergency absentee voting for medical emergencies within five days of the election, requiring physician certification and caretaker identification on a special form.
• Allows emergency absentee voting for personal business emergencies (e.g., work-related travel or attending to personal matters such as funerals), with the Secretary of State authorized to identify additional emergency types and to create related forms and rules; applications must be filed by close of business the day before the election.
• Requires standardized forms and processes (including affidavits) for emergency and regular absentee ballots, and maintains safeguards to prevent counting of multiple ballots cast in the name of a single voter except under contest procedures.

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