Today, the Senate General Affairs Committee voted favorably on HB285, a bill that would ban curbside voting.

The ruling in People First of Alabama v. Merrill means Alabama voters will not need a witness or notary to vote by mail if they have an underlying medical condition and provide a statement. 

As a voter in Alabama, it can be enough of a challenge to know when an upcoming election is and where and how to cast a ballot, but it can be even harder to know who is on the ballot, particularly when many local candidates do not have easy-to-find websites, regular public events, or are unopposed.

ACLU of Alabama, the ACLU Voting Rights Project, Lawyers’ Committee, and Campaign Legal Center submitted a brief in support of the appeal of a federal lawsuit challenging Alabama’s voter ID law that requires voters to obtain photo ID in order to vote.

Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill has claimed 647 people illegally crossover voted and will be turning over those names, once verified, to the Attorney General to potentially prosecute.

A new Alabama law signed in May will allow thousands of people to restore their right to vote, and on July 8, LSA and ACLU of Alabama will host a training session at Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church to train people about this new law, and how Alabamians can comply with its terms to win back their rights.