The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for March 12, 2024
Today’s Script
(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)
You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.
The Alabama legislature is poised to further restrict absentee voting, claiming it is protecting elections from “ballot harvesting.” Democracy advocates point to little evidence of abuse, and claim it’s another round of voter suppression of vulnerable citizens.
SB 1 now needs only a concurrence by the state senate to be sent to Governor Kate Ivey. The bill is part of a nationwide assault on absentee and mail-in voting, sparked by baseless allegations of widespread voter fraud by former President Trump and his allies.
SB1 makes it a felony for some types of assistance to absentee voters, including for a non-family member to assist with, or drop off, an absentee ballot application. With the exception of voters with medical emergencies, QUOTE: “ . . . It shall be unlawful for an individual to submit a completed absentee ballot application to the absentee election manager other than his or her own application.” UNQUOTE Such rules would prevent neighbors, churches or others from assisting the elderly, disabled and unhoused with the return of ballots or ballot applications.
The Alabama Reflector reports that the bill’s Republican champion in the House, Jamie Kiel, did not offer ANY evidence of ballot harvesting activity in the state. And in the last 24 years, there have been only 16 convictions for absentee ballot fraud. In the 2020 election alone, over 2.3 million Alabama voters cast ballots, 13% of them by absentee.
We have links to the full text of SB 1, local reporting, and the groups taking action at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
Alabama Legislature – Text of SB 1
Alabama Reflector – Alabama House approves bill criminalizing some absentee ballot assistance
Montgomery Advertiser – Alabama House passes bill limiting absentee voting
Heritage Foundation – Alabama Election Fraud Cases Since 2000
Alabama Secretary of State – Total Ballots Cast ‐ General Election ‐ November 3, 2020
Alabama Secretary of State – Absentee Ballot Application Information by County
Groups Taking Action:
Stand Up America, ACLU Alabama, League of Women Voters AL
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