HB589 Alabama 2021 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Kerry Rich Representative

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.

Description

There is no explicit prohibition on prefilling any field on a voter registration application or absentee ballot application.

This bill would prohibit any individual or entity, other than certain public officials, from prefilling any field on a voter registration application or absentee ballot application without the voter's consent.

This bill would make a violation a Class C felony.

Amendment 621 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended by Amendment 890, now appearing as Section 111.05 of the Official Recompilation of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, prohibits a general law whose purpose or effect would be to require a new or increased expenditure of local funds from becoming effective with regard to a local governmental entity without enactment by a 2/3 vote unless: it comes within one of a number of specified exceptions; it is approved by the affected entity; or the Legislature appropriates funds, or provides a local source of revenue, to the entity for the purpose.

The purpose or effect of this bill would be to require a new or increased expenditure of local funds within the meaning of the amendment. However, the bill does not require approval of a local governmental entity or enactment by a 2/3 vote to become effective because it comes within one of the specified exceptions contained in the amendment.

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Subjects

Voters and Voting