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The Alabama Senate County and Municipal Government Committee heard two bills on Tuesday that address voting identification and voting registration processes. Both bills passed with a favorable report.
SB142, sponsored by Sen. Wes Kitchens, R-Arab, proposes an amendment to Section 17-4-30 of the Code of Alabama 1975, which deals with updating voter registration records based on address changes. Specifically, the bill removes the Electronic Registration Information Center as a database option for identifying voters with potential address changes. It replaces it solely with an agency recognized by the National Voter Registration Act.
Starting in February 2025, the board of registrars or the Secretary of State would use the U.S. Postal Service’s National Change of Address database and at least one other voter registration database to identify voters who may have moved. If a voter has moved within the same jurisdiction, their address will be updated, and a notice will be sent.
If a voter has moved to a different jurisdiction or outside the state, they will also be sent a notice. If the voter does not respond within a certain period or the notice is returned undeliverable, their registration will be marked inactive.
Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, D-Birmingham, commended the work that went into bringing this bill before the committee.
“I want to thank the Secretary of State’s office for bringing this and coming by and explaining it. When people die, nobody thinks to call the board of registrars. People move, oftentimes to adjacent states, and you don’t know that and we have no way of being able to track it,” said Coleman-Madison.
SB158, sponsored by Sen. Will Barfoot, R-Pike Road, proposes changes to Section 32-6-10.1 of the Code of Alabama 1975 regarding driver licenses for foreign nationals. It would make clear that foreign national driver’s licenses cannot be used as valid photo identification when voting. The bill requires the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency to adopt rules for enforcing these provisions, and it will go into effect on June 1.
Barfoot clarified that, under state code, those who hold these kinds of licenses would still be able to operate a vehicle in the state. Coleman-Madison referenced a bill that recently passed out of the Senate, SB55, that would invalidate a driver’s license that is issued to someone who didn’t prove they are legally present in the U.S.
“I totally agree with your bill, I just think our laws that we’re passing are very contradictory,” said Coleman-Madison.
