Another early voting bill introduced in the Alabama Legislature

In November, Rep. Thomas Jackson, D-District 68, filed a bill for the 2025 legislative session that could allow early voting in Alabama. On Wednesday, Jackson’s colleague Adline Clarke, D-District 97, pre-filed her own early voting bill with her own specifications and procedures for what early voting could look like in the state.

While Rep. Jackson’s HB-59 would require only one early voting center in each of Alabama’s 67 counties, Rep. Clarke’s HB-71 would require counties to “operate at least one early voting center per 100,000 residents.” Additionally, HB-59 seeks to effectively establish a two-day window for early voting in the state in the week before an election, while HB-71 would establish a longer period for early voting, starting “on Saturday, 17 days before.” Election Day would begin.” and extend it until Thursday, five days before Election Day.”

The bill further outlines the exact hours of operation of each early voting location: “Polls must be open for early voting for at least eight hours between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., on at least two weekdays per week, including at least two days during this time.” Open until 8 p.m. on weekdays, and every Saturday between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. during the early voting period.”

Under the bill, each county would be responsible for appointing the “necessary election officials for early voting, including at least one inspector and three clerks at each center,” and those election officials would be compensated in accordance with existing Alabama law.

Counties would also be responsible for informing voters of their early voting options before Election Day.

The bill also states that the Alabama Secretary of State would be responsible for ensuring that all early votes are “counted and questioned as if cast on Election Day,” that the early voting process is “efficient and fair,” and “respects the privacy of the voter.” ” and “that voters who cast their ballots during the early voting period may not vote more than once in the same election.”

Currently, Alabamians can only vote early if they submit mail-in ballots with a valid excuse. If either HB-59 or HB-71 were to take effect, voters who wish to cast their ballots before Election Day would not be required to provide an excuse and could do so at in-person polling locations.

HB-71 says it would apply to “all general and special elections other than local elections.”