HB354 Alabama 2022 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Arnold MooneyRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2022

Title

Absentee voting, requiring photo ID with absentee ballot, prohibiting absentee election manager and circuit clerk from extending operating hours, requiring absentee election manager to submit report, Secs. 17-9-30, 17-11-2, 17-11-4, 17-11-5, 17-11-11, 17-11-18 am'd.

Summary

HB354 tightens Alabama's absentee voting rules by requiring photo ID with absentee ballots, adding tracking and reporting duties, restricting office hours, expanding poll watcher access, and treating late mail ballots as provisional.

What This Bill Does

The bill moves the photo ID requirement to the absentee ballot itself, not just the ballot application. It bars absentee election managers and circuit clerks from extending hours beyond normal business hours during an election year. It requires the absentee election manager to report to the Secretary of State and Attorney General about voters who requested ballots to be mailed to addresses with many requests and about voters who requested ballots in a county different from where they are registered. It also requires detailed recording of each absentee ballot (applicant name, voting place, dates of application received, ballot sent, and ballot returned) and daily posting of the absentee ballot requests on a public bulletin board in the county courthouse. Each absentee ballot must have a tracking number, and the bill allows more poll watchers as absentee ballots accumulate. Finally, ballots received by mail a set number of days after the election would be provisional ballots pending counting.

Who It Affects

• Voters who request and return absentee ballots: must include photo ID with the absentee ballot itself and should be aware that late-mailed ballots may be provisional.
• Absentee election managers and circuit clerks: face new restrictions on operating hours, plus additional reporting, record-keeping, and public posting duties.
• County election offices and boards (including the Secretary of State and Attorney General): receive new reporting information and oversight requirements related to absentee ballot requests and cross-county eligibility concerns.
• Election observers and poll watchers: the bill increases the number of watchers allowed to monitor counting as more absentee ballots are received.

Key Provisions

• Photo identification must be submitted with the absentee ballot itself (not only with the absentee ballot application).
• Absentee election managers and circuit clerks are prohibited from extending their hours beyond normal business hours during an election year.
• The absentee election manager must report to the Secretary of State and Attorney General listing voters who requested ballots mailed to addresses with many requests and voters who requested ballots in a county different from their registered county.
• The absentee election manager must record on a list of absentee voters: the applicant's name, voting place, date the application was received, date the ballot was sent, and date the ballot was returned; a copy of this list must be posted daily on a public bulletin board in the county courthouse.
• Each absentee ballot must have an identifying tracking number.
• The bill increases the number of poll watchers when a certain amount of absentee ballots have been received.
• Absentee ballots received by mail a certain number of calendar days after the election shall be deemed provisional and counted only under specific conditions.

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

Subjects

Absentee Voting