The Senate introduced a bill Tuesday that would make it a crime for individuals to help request absentee ballots or for voters who need assistance with absentee voting.

The bill, SB1, passed in the Senate with a vote of 27-8, with Democrats loudly condemning the bill. Republicans believe the bill is necessary to prevent third parties from collecting and submitting absentee ballots, so-called “ballot harvesting.” Opponents of the bill say the problem is not that “ballot harvesting” is actually a widespread problem, but that the Senate bill would have the effect of suppressing voters who rely on absentee ballots.

This law provides a class C felony for knowingly accepting any payment or gift by a third party for the purpose of distributing, ordering, requesting, collecting, filling out, prefilling, obtaining, or delivering a voter's absentee ballot application. It is said that

The bill also provides that if an individual knowingly makes a payment or gift to a third party for distribution, ordering, requesting, collecting, prefilling, filling out, obtaining, or delivering a voter's absentee ballot application, a class It stipulates that he will be charged with a class B felony.

The bill's sponsor, Sen. Garlan Gudger, said the bill protects the integrity of Alabama's elections. A similar bill was proposed in the previous Congress, but it died in Congress. Republicans are pushing this agenda early and hard because they want to enact the bill before the November election cycle.

Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton (D-Greensboro) said Mr. Gudger and Senate Republicans are pushing a “red meat” national issue. Following President Donald Trump's defeat in 2020, alleging fraud and irregularities in the election, debate over election integrity increased among Republicans across the country.

“They're just doing the red meat stuff that everyone has been pushing since the national championships,” Singleton said.

Singleton warned that the bill would discourage voters from voting out of fear of being arrested or imprisoned. The main people who need to vote using an absentee ballot are the elderly, the disabled, and those serving in the military or overseas.

This law provides that people with disabilities can receive assistance from individuals of their choice. The bill also exempts voters from voting by absentee ballot under the Uniform Absentee Voting Act.

Several Republican officials, including ALGOP Chairman John Wall, celebrated the bill's passage in the House.

“I want to thank SB1's sponsor, Sen. Garlan Gudger, and the entire state Senate for passing this important legislation,” Wall said in a statement. This bill aims to ensure that everyone's vote is secure and protected. We believe that the election process should demonstrate honesty and integrity, and that no one's vote should ever be stolen or intercepted through illegal ballot harvesting. SB1 is a common-sense bill that simply increases penalties for accepting payments to harvest or tamper with ballots. This bill should be supported by everyone, and we look forward to moving it forward. ”

As the bill moves through the House, it is likely to face more opposition from civil society groups, voting rights groups and people who rely on absentee voting.