SB268 Alabama 2022 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Shay ShelnuttSenator

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

SB268 would prohibit pre-filling any field on voter registration or absentee ballot applications without the voter's consent, make violations a Class C felony, and set specific official exceptions.

What This Bill Does

It bars individuals or organizations from pre-filling any field on a voter registration application without the voter's consent, with limited exceptions for certain public officials. It similarly bars pre-filling on absentee ballot applications, with exceptions for the Secretary of State or an absentee election manager. Violations would be Class C felonies. The bill becomes law on the first day of the third month after passage and governor approval, and it notes constitutional local-funding considerations but treats the crime as the basis for exempting local-funding vote requirements.

Who It Affects

• Voters: protected from prefilled information on registration and absentee ballot applications unless they consent
• Organizations or individuals who would normally prefill fields: penalties apply unless the bill’s listed exceptions apply
• Public officials/entities with permitted prefill authority: Secretary of State, boards of registrars, and voter registration agencies designated under 52 U.S.C. § 20506 for registration forms; Secretary of State or absentee election manager for absentee ballot forms
• Absentee voters and related administration: subject to new consent-based rules and criminal penalties for improper prefill
• Local government entities: the bill notes local-funding implications under constitutional amendments, but the crime-based approach provides an exemption from local funding approval requirements

Key Provisions

• Amends 17-3-54 to prohibit any prefilled fields on voter registration applications without voter consent, with specified official exceptions
• Amends 17-11-4 to prohibit any prefilled fields on absentee ballot applications without voter consent (except for the return address) and requires manual signature and other safeguards
• Declares violations of these prefill prohibitions as Class C felonies
• Specifies who may prefill fields under the listed exceptions (Secretary of State, boards of registrars, designated voter registration agencies; and for absentee ballots, Secretary of State or absentee election manager)
• Notes that the bill would trigger local-funding considerations under Amendment 621/Section 111.05, but it is treated as a crime-related provision, thus exempt from certain local-funding vote requirements
• Effective date: the first day of the third month after the bill is enacted

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