Thursday, The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and partners within the Alabama Voting Rights Coalition announced the filing of the first state voting rights omnibus bill SB7 to protect democracy and ensure equal access at the ballot box. The landmark legislation is sponsored by Senator Kirk Hatcher, D–Montgomery, and has gained full support of the entire Senate Democratic Caucus. Identical legislation is expected to be filed in the House by Representative Adline Clarke.
“We are immensely proud of the introduction of this bill. Nearly 60 years ago, folks from across the nation gathered here to march for voting rights,” said Jerome Dees, Alabama Policy Director, Southern Poverty Law Center. “This year, as we march towards the historic 60th anniversary of both Bloody Sunday and the 1965 Voting Rights Act, Alabama has the opportunity once again to take its place at the forefront of civil rights progress by passing legislation that will expand ballot access and safeguard the right to vote for every citizen in our state.”
The Alabama Voting Rights Act will position Alabama as a state that safeguards democracy by ensuring all eligible voters have access to fair and safe election processes, without undue and unnecessary barriers. Key provisions of the bill include:
- Set-up preclearance protections for election-related changes at the state and local level.
- Provide for same-day voter registration and no excuse absentee voting.
- Streamline the process for voting rights restoration.
- Establish an Alabama Voting Rights Commission to provide non-partisan oversight of changes in election procedures.
- Create a state-wide database for assisting in the administration of elections and to publicize certain information relating to voting.
Read Alabama Senate Bill 07 bill text here.
About the Southern Poverty Law Center
The Southern Poverty Law Center is a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond, working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements, and advance the human rights of all people. For more information, visit www.splcenter.org.
Supporting partners at the time of this release include, but are not limited to:
ACLU of Alabama works in the courts, legislatures, and communities to defend the civil liberties and civil rights guaranteed to us by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
Alabama Arise is a statewide, member-led organization advancing public policies to improve the lives of Alabamians who are marginalized by poverty.
Alabama Values Progress is a nonprofit and nonpartisan grassroots communications and messaging hub working to build civic awareness and community power in Alabama and across the South.
Black Voters Matter is a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization whose goal is to increase power in marginalized, predominantly Black communities.
Campaign Legal Center is a nonpartisan organization that advocates for every eligible voter to meaningfully participate in the democratic process – no matter where they live, the color of their skin, or how much money they make.
Greater Birmingham Ministries is a multi-faith, multi-racial organization that provides emergency services for people in need and engages the poor and the non-poor in systemic change efforts to build a strong, supportive, engaged community and pursue a more just society for all people.
League of Women Voters of Alabama is a political grassroots network and membership organization that believes the freedom to vote is a nonpartisan issue.
United Women of Color empowers girls, women, and their communities by uniting people across ethnicities to address civic and educational gaps for advancement.
