Alabama Republican Party praises Governor, Secretary of State and Legislature r Passage of ballot harvesting ban

On Wednesday, Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl issued a statement praising the Governor, Secretary of State, and Legislature for passing the ballot ban bill (SB1) and for Governor Kay Ivey (R) for signing SB1 into law.

"Securing and maintaining the integrity of the electoral process is of the utmost importance to the Alabama Republican Party," said Chairman John Wahl in a statement. "No one's vote should ever be stolen or usurped by illegal ballot harvesting, and SB1 is a major step forward in safeguarding our elections. I would like to thank Governor Ivey, who made this a priority in her State of the State address, Secretary of State Wes Allen, bill sponsors Senator Garlan Gudger and Representative Jamie Kiel, and the members of the Alabama Legislature for their work to swiftly pass this commonsense measure into law."

Senate Bill 1 will make it a crime for third parties with no relationship to the voter to distribute, complete, or collect absentee ballots in the state of Alabama. A number of left leaning nonprofit groups were heavily involved in these efforts in the 2020 presidential elections and likely contributed to the outcome of the race tilting some swing states in favor of Joseph R. Biden.

"Here in Alabama, we are committed to ensuring our elections are free and fair. I commend Secretary of State Wes Allen, as well as members of the Alabama Legislature for making election security a priority, and I am proud to officially sign Senate Bill 1 into law. Under my watch, there will be no funny business in Alabama elections," said Alabama Governor Kay Ivey.

"Free and fair elections are the foundation of our constitutional republic. The passage of SB1 signals to ballot harvesters that Alabama votes are not for sale. The Alabama Legislature and Governor Ivey have made it clear that Alabama voters have the right to cast their own vote without undue influence." said Secretary of State Wes Allen.

The Alabama ACLU opposed SB1.

"Our Position: We oppose SB1. We are committed to mitigating voter suppression by ensuring access to the ballot. This legislation would make it a felony for assistance to be provided in delivering and filling out absentee ballots or applications in most cases. SB1 will not allow voters to have a volunteer from a GOTV organization assist them in completing an absentee ballot application or an absentee ballot. With several organizations providing services to seniors, students, or people who are homebound, this bill prevents their work to ensure and expand access to the ballot. Criminalizing assistance that provides access to the voting process to others limits participation for Alabama's most vulnerable citizens."

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