HB63 Alabama 2022 Session

Updated Feb 22, 2026

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Debbie Wood
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2022
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: HB63 would bar pre-filling any field on voter registration or absentee ballot applications without the voter's consent, and would punish violations as a felony.
What This Bill Does
It prohibits any person or organization from pre-filling any field on a voter registration or absentee ballot application without the voter's consent, with limited exceptions for certain public officials. Violations are designated as Class C felonies (with an additional Class A misdemeanor noted in the absentee section). If a prefilled registration is used, the board of registrars must refuse registration and notify the applicant within 10 days. For absentee applications, no field may be prefilled without consent (except the return address); applications must be manually signed, and the forms must spell out penalties; handwritten applications may be accepted.

Who It Affects
Voters: protection from prefilled information on registration and absentee ballot applications and required notifications if a prefilled form is rejected.
Individuals or organizations that attempt to prefill forms without consent: face criminal penalties (Class C felony, and in some cases Class A misdemeanor).
Election officials (Secretary of State, boards of registrars, and absentee election managers): subject to the allowed exceptions and enforcement rules, including notice and rejection procedures.
Local government funding considerations: the bill is treated as a crime-related change and is exempt from local funding requirements under Amendment 621.

Key Provisions
Prohibits pre-filling any field on a voter registration or absentee ballot application without the voter's consent, with exceptions for the Secretary of State, a board of registrars, or designated voter registration agencies.
Violations carry a Class C felony penalty (with a Class A misdemeanor noted for the absentee application provision).
If a prefilled registration is used, the board of registrars must refuse registration and notify the applicant within 10 days with the reason for refusal.
Absentee ballot applications may not have fields prefilled without consent (except the return address); applicants may receive assistance but must manually sign the application, and forms must include penalties; handwritten absentee applications are permitted.
The act takes effect on the first day of the third month after passage and governor approval, and the bill is exempt from certain local-funding requirements because it creates or changes a crime.

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