HB521 Alabama 2023 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Matt SimpsonRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2023

Title

Relating to voting; to authorize the Secretary of State to offer certain state residents the ability to register their political party affiliation and provide a list of party registrants to a political party in certain circumstances; to provide criminal penalties for violations; to provide for the repeal of this act on a certain date; and in connection therewith would have as its purpose or effect the requirement of a new or increased expenditure of local funds within the meaning of Section 111.05 of the Constitution of Alabama of 2022.

Summary

HB521 would let the Secretary of State offer an online form for Alabama residents 18+ to register a political party, allow parties to receive a list of registrants under certain conditions, impose penalties for violations, and sunset the program in 2027 with a local-funding exemption.

What This Bill Does

It creates a mechanism for registering political party affiliation through the Secretary of State’s website. The Secretary may share a list of registrants with the respective party up to four times per calendar year. It establishes the crime of tampering with governmental records for misusing the registration process by signing on behalf of someone else. The act would repeal on January 1, 2027 and is exempt from local-funding requirements under Section 111.05 due to specific constitutional exceptions.

Who It Affects

• Residents of Alabama 18 years or older who want to register a political party affiliation using the Secretary of State’s online form.
• Political parties described in Section 17-13-40 that may receive a list of registrants for their party upon request (up to four times per year).
• Individuals who knowingly complete or sign the registration form on behalf of someone else, committing the crime of tampering with governmental records.

Key Provisions

• Authorizes the Secretary of State to offer an online form to register political party affiliation for residents 18+ and to return the form to the Secretary of State.
• Allows the Secretary of State to provide a list of all individuals registered with a given political party to that party, upon request, not more than four times per calendar year.
• Defines tampering with governmental records as a crime if someone knowingly completes or signs the form on behalf of another person.
• Repeals the act on January 1, 2027 and states the act is exempt from local funding requirements under Section 111.05 due to its status as defining a new crime or amending a crime; includes an effective date per the bill.

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

Subjects

Political parties; Secretary of State authorized to register party affiliation of residents