HB589 Alabama 2021 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Kerry Rich

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2021

Title

Elections, prefilling of any field on voter registration application or absentee ballot application, prohibited, criminal penalties for violations imposed, Secs. 17-3-54, 17-11-4 am'd.

Summary

HB589 would bar pre-filling any field on voter registration or absentee ballot applications without the voter's consent and would impose Class C felony penalties for violations.

What This Bill Does

It prohibits providing a voter registration application with any field prefilled unless the voter consents, with exceptions for the Secretary of State, boards of registrars, or designated voter registration agencies. It also prohibits providing an absentee ballot application with any field prefilled unless the voter consents, with exceptions for the Secretary of State or an absentee election manager. Violations are Class C felonies, and the bill notes a local-funding clause related to constitutional provisions but says the crime-related provisions keep it exempt from local-approval requirements.

Who It Affects

• Voters applying to register or to receive an absentee ballot, who would be protected from having fields prefilled without consent and would need to provide consent for any prefill.
• Organizations or individuals (e.g., campaigns or vendors) that prepare these applications, who would be prohibited from pre-filling fields without the voter's consent (with public officials such as the Secretary of State, boards of registrars, or a designated voter registration agency as exceptions). Violations could result in Class C felonies.

Key Provisions

• Prohibits any person or entity from providing a voter registration application with any field prefilled without the voter's consent, with exceptions for the Secretary of State, boards of registrars, and designated voter registration agencies.
• Prohibits any person or entity from providing an absentee ballot application with any field prefilled without the voter's consent (except for the return address), with exceptions for the Secretary of State or an absentee election manager.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Voters and Voting