HB31 Alabama 2025 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Adline ClarkeRepresentative

Democrat

Session

2025 Regular Session

Title

Voting, absentee voting, disabled, blind, or voters unable to read may designate individual to deliver voter's absentee ballot application and absentee ballot to absentee election manager

Summary

HB31 would let voters who are disabled, blind, or unable to read or write designate someone to deliver their absentee ballot application and their absentee ballot to the absentee election manager.

What This Bill Does

It allows a voter in those categories to designate an individual to deliver both the absentee ballot application and the absentee ballot to the absentee election manager. It updates how applications and ballots are delivered and stored, including in-person delivery by a designee and revised envelope and oath requirements for absentee ballots. It also adds penalties for improper handling by third parties, clarifies that military and overseas voting rules are unaffected, and takes effect October 1, 2025 with nonsubstantive language updates.

Who It Affects

• Disabled, blind, or unable to read or write voters who gain the option to designate a designee to deliver their absentee materials to election officials.
• Individuals designated by those voters (such as family members or caregivers) who would deliver the application or ballot to the absentee election manager and follow the specified delivery and envelope procedures.

Key Provisions

• Allows a disabled, blind, or unable-to-read/write voter to designate an individual to deliver the voter's absentee ballot application to the absentee election manager.
• Allows a disabled, blind, or unable-to-read/write voter to designate an individual to deliver the voter's absentee ballot to the absentee election manager.
• Specifies delivery methods for applications and ballots (in person, mail, commercial carrier) and allows designee delivery in certain cases, including emergency treatment within five days before an election.
• Prohibits prefilled absentee ballot applications and restricts third-party payments or gifts related to distributing, ordering, requesting, collecting, completing, or delivering a voter's absentee ballot application, with felony penalties for violations.
• Outlines the envelope sequence for absentee ballots (plain secrecy envelope, affidavit envelope with sworn oath and notary/witness requirements, and return envelope) and allows designees to hand-deliver the return envelope for disabled voters.
• Describes ID/reidentification and provisional-ballot provisions for certain voters, and notes that military/overseas voting rules are unchanged; includes a October 1, 2025 effective date and adds nonsubstantive technical revisions to update language.

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, Voting, & Campaigns