House Bill 486 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Adline ClarkeRepresentative

Democrat

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Elections; voting rights restoration process revised; 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

HB486 creates automatic voting rights restoration for many felons, expands absentee and advance voting, and establishes a statewide Voting Rights Act with a Commission and public election data database to promote fair access and prevent discrimination.

What This Bill Does

It allows automatic restoration of voting rights for felons who meet specified criteria after completing sentence terms or receiving pardons, with certain severe crimes permanently disqualifying eligibility. It authorizes any registered voter to vote absentee and standardizes the absentee voting process, including emergency ballots and a ballot-curing mechanism. It creates the Alabama Voting Rights Act and a five-member Alabama Voting Rights Act Commission to administer the act, oversee preclearance of election policies, and investigate potential voting-rights discrimination, plus a statewide election data database managed by the Secretary of State. It also establishes an advance voting period with defined hours, days, and locations prior to elections.

Who It Affects

• Individuals who have lost the right to vote due to felony convictions, who may automatically regain voting rights if they meet defined criteria (no pending felony charges, fines and costs paid, and release or pardon or completion of probation/parole). Certain offenses are explicitly barred from restoration.
• All registered voters (including military and overseas voters), who would be eligible to vote absentee and participate in advance voting under standardized rules and procedures, including mechanisms to cure ballot defects and emergency absentee voting when needed.
• Election officials and local governments (e.g., Secretary of State, judge of probate, boards of registrars) who must implement advance voting, maintain the statewide database, and comply with preclearance requirements for election policies.
• Nominating organizations and civil rights groups involved in governance and enforcement of voting rights, who participate in selecting commission members and may engage in enforcement or advocacy related to the act.

Key Provisions

• Automatic restoration of voting rights for felons who meet specified criteria, including no pending charges, payment of fines/costs/restitution, and release from supervision, with explicit prohibitions on restoration for crimes such as treason, impeachment, murder, various sexual crimes, child exploitation, and other listed offenses.
• Certificate of Eligibility to Register to Vote issued by the Board of Pardons and Paroles after a preclearable investigation confirming eligibility; decisions on eligibility within defined timeframes, with procedures for denial and ability to reapply after meeting criteria.
• Absentee voting expanded to allow any registered elector to request an absentee ballot; standardized application process, protections against prefilled applications, and prohibition on third-party payments for absentee ballot applications; delivery methods and cure processes for defective ballots.
• Advanced voting period established before each election with designated polling locations, hours (including weekends), and notice requirements; judges of probate must designate open advance voting sites and provide advance notice to the Secretary of State and public websites or publications.
• Creation of the Alabama Voting Rights Act and a five-member Alabama Voting Rights Act Commission to administer the act, with duties including policy preclearance, enforcement powers (including subpoenas and oaths), staffing, and rulemaking authority.
• A statewide database managed by the Secretary of State to support election administration, containing demographic, registration, polling-location, and election data; data (excluding personal elector information) published publicly on the SOS website at no cost.
• Preclearance framework requiring covered jurisdictions to obtain approval for new or modified policies affecting voting; procedures for public notice, comment periods, and timelines; court involvement in certain cases and expedited processes for emergencies.
• A Voter Education Fund to finance nonpartisan education, outreach, training for election staff, voter hotlines, and grants to organizations for voter registration and get-out-the-vote activities.
• Effective date of October 1, 2026.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 19, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Elections, Voting, & Campaigns