HB60 Alabama 2025 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Adline ClarkeRepresentative

Democrat

Session

2025 Regular Session

Title

Elections; Alabama Voting Rights Act Commission established to prevent discrimination in voting; duties and membership provided; Secretary of State required to establish database on election administration

Summary

HB60 would automatically restore voting rights for eligible felons, remove certain absentee voting qualifications, and create a new Alabama Voting Rights Act with a Commission and statewide election database to protect voting rights and improve election administration.

What This Bill Does

First, it would automatically restore voting rights for felons who meet defined criteria after completing their sentence, with certain offenses permanently disqualifying restoration. Second, it would remove the existing qualifications to vote absentee and establish a standard absentee voting process, including provisions for emergency absentee ballots. Third, it would create the Alabama Voting Rights Act and a five‑member Alabama Voting Rights Commission to review state actions for potential discrimination and to preclear election‑related policies. Fourth, it would require a statewide election database maintained by the Secretary of State to support election administration and public information, plus a funded voter education program.

Who It Affects

• Voters with felony convictions who may have voting rights restored automatically if they meet the specified criteria, with certain offenses permanently blocking restoration.
• Election officials, local governments, and all voters, who would be affected by new oversight and preclearance duties, the expanded absentee voting framework, and the statewide election database and public outreach efforts.

Key Provisions

• Automatic restoration of voting rights for felons meeting defined criteria after completing sentence or probation/parole, with explicit disqualifications for offenses such as treason, murder, rape, and certain other crimes.
• Abolition or removal of existing absentee voting qualifications, allowing any registered elector to vote absentee, and addition of procedures for emergency absentee ballots and related verification and cure processes.
• Establishment of the Alabama Voting Rights Act and the Alabama Voting Rights Commission (five commissioners with staggered five-year terms) to review actions that could discriminate against protected classes and to issue preclearance for election policies.
• Creation and maintenance of a statewide election database by the Secretary of State, including population estimates by race/language, district-level election results, updated registries, geocoded elector locations, polling places, and absentee drop boxes, with public access and redactions to protect individuals’ identities.
• A preclearance framework requiring covered jurisdictions to obtain approval before enacting covered policies related to elections, with timelines, public comment, and potential court review; emergency preclearance provisions are included.
• A Voter Education Fund to fund educational materials, outreach, training for election staff, hotlines, grants to organizations, and nonpartisan voter engagement activities.
• Effective date set for October 1, 2025.

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