HB168 Alabama 2022 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Laura HallRepresentative

Democrat

Session

Regular Session 2022

Title

Absentee voting, authorize without providing excuse, Secs. 17-11-3, 17-11-7 am'd.

Summary

HB168 would allow Alabama voters to vote absentee without providing an excuse.

What This Bill Does

If enacted, the bill would permit a registered voter to vote an absentee ballot without needing to show an excuse, while still following existing voting procedures. It retains the use of mail, hand delivery, or commercial carrier for absentee ballots, and keeps application deadlines and the oath/affidavit requirements. It also preserves special provisions for military/overseas voters, emergency absentee voting, and penalties for voting more than once, with an effective date set after passage.

Who It Affects

• Registered voters in Alabama: could vote absentee without an excuse, subject to application rules, deadlines, and affidavit requirements.
• Election offices (Secretary of State and county election managers): would implement and enforce the new no-excuse absentee voting rules, manage applications and ballots, and handle related emergency and cost provisions.

Key Provisions

• Eliminates the need to provide an excuse to vote absentee; any qualified elector may apply and vote absentee in primary, general, special, or municipal elections.
• Absentee ballot options remain by mail, hand delivery, or commercial carrier, with deadlines: mail applications must be received at least seven days before the election; hand-delivered applications at least five days before the election.
• Allows use of the federal postcard application form for military and certain overseas voters.
• Maintains emergency absentee voting procedures and enables the Secretary of State to adopt emergency rules during states of emergency, with costs paid by the state.
• Affidavit and anti-fraud measures remain, including rules about signatures, witnessing/notarization, and penalties for providing false information; simultaneous or multiple ballots are governed by specific counting rules and contest procedures.
• Effective date: the act becomes law on the first day of the third month after its passage and approval.

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

Subjects

Elections