MONTGOMERY, Ala. — More than two dozen Alabama House Democrats have signed onto House Bill 60, dubbed the Alabama Voting Rights Act, designed to expand voter accessibility in the state.
Among the bill’s provisions include automatic voting rights restoration and expanded access to absentee voting, with the bill being filed amid Alabama Democrats’ continued opposition to Republican-led efforts to strengthen election integrity, such as with this year’s Senate Bill 1, efforts many Democrats have argued to be a form of voter suppression.
“Living in a state where we often verbally pay homage to voting rights heroes and their sacrifice – John Lewis, Dr. King and so many others – it’s not enough just to pay lip service to them,”said Rep. Phillip Ensler, D-Montgomery, one of the many co-sponsors of the bill.
The bill was sponsored by Rep. Adline Clarke, D-Mobile, and co-sponsored by 25 House Democrats. The Alabama Voting Rights Coalition, a collective of organizations and individuals that advocate for expanding and protecting voting rights in the state, asked Clarke to sponsor the bill.
Under the bill, those convicted of crimes of moral turpitude, upon serving out their sentence, would be granted automatic restoration of their voting rights. Those convicted of such crimes today are eligible to have their voting rights restored, though the process is not automatic and requires an individual to apply for a Certificate of Eligibility to Register to Vote, a lengthy process that HB60’s supporters say is unnecessary.
“Once they pay their dues, those rights should automatically be restored,” Ensler told ADN. “Now, I guess the opposition could argue to make sure that someone has actually served their sentence or they’re eligible, that there should be an additional step of having them proactively have to restore their rights.”
The bill would also allow Alabamians to vote remotely via an absentee ballot, and without a reason for doing so, whereas currently, only those who meet a select-few criteria are eligible to vote absentee.
Additionally, HB60 would establish a statewide election database, prohibit local governments and officials from implementing election policies that could result in discrimination against protected classes of voters, as well as establish the Alabama Voting Rights Commission to review and approve election policy changes.
With 76 Republican members of the Alabama House and only 29 Democrats, however, getting the bill through the House will most certainly be an uphill battle. One of the bill’s supporters, Rep. Ontario Tillman, D-Bessemer, however, believes there are opportunities for Democrats and Republicans to find common ground on the topic of expanding voter accessibility.
“We’re all concerned about voting integrity and making sure a vote is counted and done in the proper way, I think we’re all on the same page when it comes to that; our tradition is that we do want to continue to expand voting,” Tillman told ADN.
“I do believe that expanding access to voting should be something that Republicans and Democrats alike should want to agree to, because the more people you can get to participate in the political process, the better it is when we are producing policies (and) legislation because now everyone has a voice.”
Clarke also leaned into appealing to Republican efforts to strengthen election integrity as a potential common ground between the two parties, a common ground that could be used to advance HB60 through the legislative process.
“Just as legislators want to ensure that Alabama’s election system is safe and secure, I believe all legislators also want to ensure equal access to voting for all Alabamians,” Clarke said.
Tillman has his own bill to expand voter accessibility that he filed earlier this month, House Bill 64, which would officially make election day a state holiday.
“The purpose behind it really is to spark more voter participation, more voter turnout, and also to reduce some of the long lines that you may have at certain voting precincts,” he said. “It would allow people to have the opportunity not having to worry about being at work at a certain time, trying to get off work at a certain time to get to the polls before they close.”
Both bills were primarily designed, their sponsors and supporters have said, to increase voter participation, which has been historically low in Alabama for years. In the general election this month, Alabama had a voter turnout rate of just under 59%, far lower than the national rate of 64%.
Some Democratic lawmakers have pointed to bills such as last year’s SB1, which made it a felony to pay or receive payment for assistance with an absentee ballot application, as contributing to the state’s low voter turnout rates. SB1 is currently being challenged in court, and saw several groups halt their voter outreach efforts in response to its passage out of fear of prosecution.
Noting that getting HB60 through the House will be difficult, Ensler said that at the very least, the strong support the bill has already amassed will allow Democrats to layout their positions publicly on voter accessibility.
“I’m realistic in that I recognize that there are often in the Legislature two different approaches when it comes to voting rights and addressing some of these components, but I think this is a conversation starter, and important to at least set out where we stand,” Ensler said.
Given the Republican control of both the Alabama House and Senate, ADN also asked Clarke if she saw a realistic path forward for HB60.
“Along with Senator Kirk Hatcher, (D-Montgomery), and myself, members of the Voting Rights Coalition are already working diligently to get this legislation passed,” she said. “The member organizations understand the legislative process and will try to solicit the support of the entire legislature. The organizations include Southern Poverty Law Center, Alabama Arise, ACLU of Alabama, Alabama Values Progress, Campaign Legal Center, Faith in Action Alabama, League of Women Voters, SPLC Action Fund, Return My Vote, and United for a Fair Economy.”
A Senate version of the bill was filed in August, and has amassed seven Democratic co-sponsors. The 2025 legislative session starts Feb. 4.