Elections; early voting, in-person voting period, authorized
SB373 would create a statewide in-person early voting system for Alabama’s general and special elections, excluding municipal elections. Beginning with the November 2028 general election cycle, qualified electors could vote without excuse at designated early voting centers during a 10-day period that starts the Saturday 10 calendar days before election day and ends the Thursday five days before election day. The bill sets minimum hours of operation for weekdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, while allowing counties to expand hours beyond the minimum.
The measure requires each county commission to establish early voting center locations and to provide public notice through a communications plan that may include social media, county websites, and other media. Counties must operate at least one early voting center for every 100,000 residents, with locations generally tied to existing precinct boundaries and allowed in courthouses, public buildings, or existing polling places. Early voting would use paper ballots and tabulators, with election officials, poll watchers, ballot security, and other election-day procedures governed largely by existing election law and Secretary of State rules.
SB373 would significantly change Alabama election administration by adding a new in-person early voting process to state law for most non-municipal elections. It would require counties to establish and staff early voting centers, publish voter information, coordinate with the Secretary of State’s office, and follow reimbursement procedures for related expenses. The bill also directs the Secretary of State to adopt rules to ensure early ballots are counted like election-day ballots and to prevent double voting, thereby creating new statewide administrative and regulatory duties for election officials and county commissions.
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the overall sentiment appears to be procedural and reform-oriented rather than overtly contentious in the available record. The bill is framed as an expansion of voting access and modernization of election administration, suggesting support from proponents of early voting and broader voter convenience. However, because no committee transcript or vote history is provided, there is no documented public sentiment in the record beyond the bill’s stated purpose.
The main points of potential contention are likely to be the expansion of voting access without excuse, the cost and administrative burden on counties, and the security rules needed to prevent duplicate voting. Counties may object to the requirement to establish at least one early voting center per 100,000 residents and to provide staffing, facilities, and public outreach, even though expenses are reimbursable. Election administration concerns may also arise around the Secretary of State’s rulemaking, ballot security, and how early voting centers are distributed geographically. The bill excludes municipal elections, which may also be a point of interest for local election officials or advocates seeking broader coverage.