A coalition of activist groups in Alabama is suing to overturn a new law that places limits on who can receive payments for processing ballots.
These groups object to SB1’s prohibition on paying for or receiving ballots for distribution or collection.
Activists say the ban on payments will hurt the ability to vote for people with disabilities and elderly people who need help obtaining documents.
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Photo of the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery, Alabama. (Taylor Hill/Getty Images)
The lawsuit was brought by the Alabama Conference of the NAACP, the Alabama Disability Advocacy Program, Greater Birmingham Ministries, and the League of Women Voters of Alabama.
“SB1 is a setback for Alabama because it violates the law, restricts fundamental constitutional amendment rights, and eliminates free speech,” said Benard Simelton, president of the Alabama NAACP. “It alienates voters from access to the ballot box.”
The state Legislature approved SB1, and the bill was signed into law by Gov. Kay Ivey last month.
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A “Vote Here” sign outside a polling place in Huntsville, Alabama. (Andy Rice/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The law makes it a felony to pay or accept payment for services such as collecting, filling out, or distributing absentee ballot applications.
It would also be a misdemeanor to return another voter’s ballot or pre-fill a ballot before it is distributed.
“Here in Alabama, we are committed to ensuring that elections are free and fair,” Ivey said in a statement last month. “Nothing strange will happen in Alabama’s elections on my watch.”
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Alabama Governor Kay Ivey speaks to supporters after her re-election victory in Montgomery. (AP Photo/Vasya Hunt)
Republicans in the Alabama General Assembly have made the bill a major priority this year, aiming to pass it before the November election. Republicans argued they needed to combat voter fraud through “ballot harvesting,” which involves collecting multiple absentee ballots.
Democrats argued there was no evidence of ballot harvesting and called it an attempt to suppress absentee voting.
The law lists exceptions under which voters who require assistance because they are blind, disabled, or illiterate will be given assistance by an individual of their choice.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
