EAIElectoral Access Index

The statute establishes the Fair Ballot Commission with fixed statutory composition across multiple branches (executive: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Commissioner; legislative: Speaker; secretary of state), enumerated appointment authority, and mandated term limits (initial terms of 2-4 years, subsequent terms of 4 years, maximum of two consecutive full terms). This statutory codification of multi-branch appointment, balanced composition, and term constraints satisfies the criterion for election administration independence.

“The commission shall consist of the following 18 members: The Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Secretary of State, or their designees, shall each serve as a member on the commission and shall each appoint to the commission one member who is an attorney licensed in the state and one member who is a private citizen of the state who is not an attorney.”

This section explicitly references and incorporates the voter qualifications set forth in Article 8 of the Alabama Constitution of 1901, which contains the minimum age and residency requirements. The statute grounds the eligibility criteria in the constitution rather than establishing them independently in statutory text.

“Any person possessing the qualifications of an elector set out in Article 8 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as modified by federal law, and not laboring under any disqualification listed therein, shall be an elector”

The section provides clear statutory codification of disqualification criteria through an exhaustive enumeration of specific felonies involving moral turpitude (items 1-48 and beyond), grounded in constitutional requirement but implemented comprehensively in statute. However, the provided text does not include any defined statutory restoration procedure, cure mechanism, or appeal path for disqualified voters, addressing only the disqualification framework itself.

“(c) For purposes of Section 177 of the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, an individual is disqualified to vote by reason of conviction of a felony involving moral turpitude only when convicted of any of the following offenses in a degree constituting a felony:”

The statute identifies who may seek restoration (post-pardon or Certificate of Eligibility holders) and specifies a submission procedure (copy of document to county registrars), satisfying partial statutory codification. However, the restoration itself depends entirely on discretionary Board action ('may be restored...when specifically expressed in the pardon'), not automatic restoration. Critically, no statutory deadline for Board action, no defined appeal process for denial, and no alternative cure procedure are provided. The criterion requires 'statutory deadlines and automatic restoration where applicable'—neither is present here.

“Any person who is disqualified by reason of conviction of any of the offenses mentioned in Article VIII of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, except treason and impeachment, whether the conviction was had in a state or federal court, and who has been pardoned, may be restored to citizenship with the right to vote by the State Board of Pardons and Paroles when specifically expressed in the pardon.”

Alabama Code § 17-9-30 explicitly sets the photo ID requirement in statute and enumerates the acceptable forms in subsections (a)(1)–(7). The requirement is not delegated to regulation or administrative discretion; it is codified directly in the statute with specific, listed alternatives. The statute also provides cure mechanisms (provisional ballot under subsection (e), identification by two election officials under subsection (f), and exemptions for federal voters under subsection (d)), all grounded in statute.

“Each elector shall provide valid photo identification to an appropriate election official prior to voting. A voter required to show valid photo identification when voting in person shall present to the appropriate election official one of the following forms of valid photo identification”

The statute exhaustively enumerates seven distinct categories of acceptable photo identification in subsection (a), each with specific characteristics (e.g., photo requirement, issuing authority). This leaves no discretion to election officials to accept or reject forms of ID not on this list. The enumeration is set directly in statute rather than delegated to administrative rule-making.

No section in the FTS-surfaced candidates satisfies this criterion. Best signal: This section addresses judicial access to voter registration lists and cost allocation for probate judges, not voter identification requirements or alternative ID procedures. It contains no statutory language establishing, requiring, or providing free alternative ID for voters, and thus does not engage the criterion's subject matter.

The statute explicitly provides two at-polls cure procedures when a voter's name does not appear on the official list: (1) voting after presenting a proper certificate from the board of registrars, and (2) voting a provisional ballot. Both remedies are statutorily enumerated, giving a voter clear alternative pathways to cast a valid ballot despite registration discrepancies.

“provided, that nothing in this section shall prevent any qualified elector residing in the precinct, ward, or voting district from voting after presenting a proper certificate from the board of registrars, or from voting a provisional ballot or a provisional ballot in municipal elections when his or her name does not duly appear upon the official list of the precinct, district, ward, or subdivision.”

No matching sections in corpus.

No section in the FTS-surfaced candidates satisfies this criterion. Best signal: The section addresses voter identification requirements for voting by mail and absentee ballot, not registration deadlines. It does not define, reference, or establish any statutory registration cutoff relative to election day. The criterion asks about registration deadline procedures; this section governs identification at the voting stage, which is a distinct procedural element.

This section exhaustively enumerates the statutory registration methods available under Alabama law: in-person registration before a registrar, judge of probate, or clerk; representation before the board of registrars; and mail registration for specified categories (Armed Forces members, persons employed or studying abroad, and their spouses/children). The statute specifies the precise conditions and authorities that govern each method, leaving no gap for administrative discretion to create unlisted registration pathways.

“Each voter whose name is to be removed shall reidentify himself or herself by appearing in person before a registrar, or by appearing before the judge of probate, or either of the clerks in the office of the judge of probate, or through his or her representative before the board of registrars in regular session except that the following persons shall be entitled to reidentify by mail if they possess the qualifications of an elector”

No section in the FTS-surfaced candidates satisfies this criterion. Best signal: This section governs the preparation and certification of voter registration lists after the registration deadline has closed and the composition of poll lists delivered to precincts. It does not address registration rejection, incompleteness of registration applications, or any cure procedure for deficient registrations. The statute is silent on what happens when a registration is rejected as incomplete and contains no enumerated cure steps, notice requirements, or appeal pathways for applicants whose registrations are rejected.

This section provides a clear statutory right to challenge a rejected registration, with enumerated procedural steps: appeal filing within 30 days, venue in probate court, notice to district attorney, and appeal rights to circuit court and Alabama Supreme Court. The procedure is exhaustively defined in statute rather than left to administrative discretion.

“Any person to whom registration is denied shall have the right of appeal, without giving security for costs, within 30 days after such denial, by filing a petition in the probate court in the county in which he or she seeks to register”

The statute explicitly enumerates the criteria for removing voters from rolls in binding statutory language (Acts 1994, codified as Ala. Code § 17-4-39), covering death (Social Security Death Index), change of address (driver license data, National Change of Address database, state-to-state comparisons), and ineligibility (citizenship status). The removal criteria are defined in statute, not delegated to regulation or administrative discretion, and the statute specifies the exact data sources and methods to be used. This satisfies the criterion at the highest level by grounding removal procedures directly in statutory text.

The statute mandates a statutorily-defined notice procedure (mailed within 90 days) and provides an explicit cure mechanism: voters may return a prepaid card to correct their address before removal occurs. The statute further specifies that voters have until after the second general election for federal office to vote or update registration before removal, creating a defined cure period. This satisfies the procedural clarity requirement for pre-purge notice and opportunity to cure.

“the board of registrars or Secretary of State, within 90 days after identifying the potential change, shall send the voter a notice of the change by forwardable mail along with a postage prepaid, pre-addressed return card on which the registered voter may verify or correct his or her current address information”

Section 17-11-43 addresses only the confidentiality of *voted ballots*, not voter registry data security, encryption standards, or breach notification procedures. While it imposes a duty to protect ballot confidentiality, it does not establish a data security regime for the voter registry, does not enumerate encryption requirements, and does not define breach notification procedures. The statute is focused on overseas ballot request procedures rather than registry data protection.

“(c) The absentee election manager and the staff of the absentee election manager shall ensure the confidentiality of all voted ballots, including voted ballots received by facsimile.”

No matching sections in corpus.

Section 17-9-13(a) clearly establishes in statute the right to voter-chosen assistance and exhaustively enumerates the prohibited classes of assistants (employer, employer agents, union officers/agents). The procedure for obtaining assistance is specified: the voter must request by name and both voter and assistant must sign the poll list. This provides statutory grounding, enumeration of the rule, and a defined procedural mechanism.

This section establishes a statutory procedure for illiteracy assistance at the registration stage (a witness reads the application and records answers), which satisfies codification and enumeration of the core procedure. However, the criterion asks specifically about assistance 'protecting ballot secrecy'—i.e., assistance at the voting stage itself, not registration. This section addresses registration assistance only and is silent on ballot-marking assistance or secrecy protections during actual voting. The procedural clarity is strong for what it covers (registration), but it does not address the voting-stage assistance contemplated by the criterion.

The statute sets specific, enumerated opening and closing hours (7:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M.) by legislative act, leaving no discretion to local administrators except the narrow exception for Chambers and Lee counties' county commissions to adopt central time by resolution. The core requirement is statutory and unambiguous.

“Every polling place shall open for voting at 7:00 A.M. and shall close at 7:00 P.M.”

The statute establishes mail-in voting eligibility and application deadlines in statute (subsections a–e provide enumerated grounds and deadlines; subsection b sets mail/hand deadlines). However, the procedure explicitly delegates critical elements to Secretary of State rules ('as determined by rule by the Secretary of State'), including the mechanics of mail return and signature verification. Cure procedures are not addressed in this section. The statute codifies some procedural elements but leaves key operational details to administrative rule, not full statutory codification.

“Any qualified elector of this state may apply for and vote an absentee ballot by mail, by hand delivery, or by commercial carrier, as determined by rule by the Secretary of State, as provided in Sections 17-11-5 and 17-11-9”

§ 17-11-5 codifies core absentee voting procedures in statute: eligibility criteria (appearance on qualified voter list or provisional absentee eligibility), application requirement, specific ballot delivery methods and timing (mail or in-person, within next business day), and voter identification obligations. The statute enumerates the procedural requirements for absentee ballot distribution and establishes a clear administrative process, satisfying the criterion that the framework is statutorily grounded and not left to discretion.

No section in the FTS-surfaced candidates satisfies this criterion. Best signal: § 17-1-2 is a definitions section that establishes terminology for Alabama's election code. It does not contain any substantive rules governing early voting periods or locations. The section defines procedural terms (precinct, voting place, voting center) but does not establish statutory requirements for when early voting occurs or where it may be conducted. A separate substantive statute would need to address those policy and procedural questions.

No matching sections in corpus.

This section establishes a statutory right to vote a provisional ballot when a voter's name does not appear on the official list, satisfying the first element. However, it provides no procedure for adjudicating provisional ballots—no timeline, standards for acceptance, cure mechanisms, or appeal path are enumerated. The section merely recognizes the right without defining how provisional ballots are counted or challenged.

“nothing in this section shall prevent any qualified elector residing in the precinct, ward, or voting district from voting after presenting a proper certificate from the board of registrars, or from voting a provisional ballot or a provisional ballot in municipal elections when his or her name does not duly appear upon the official list of the precinct, district, ward, or subdivision.”