Alabama has announced that a new state law expanding the list of felonies that result in the loss of voting rights will not be enforced until after the November election. The law, which has an effective date of October 1, cannot prevent people from voting in the upcoming election due to a provision in the state constitution prohibiting new election laws from taking effect within six months of the general election.
The Campaign Legal Center had filed a lawsuit seeking clarification on the law, arguing that there was a lack of guidance from the state, leading to confusion among voters and registrars. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of two men who were convicted of attempted murder and would lose their voting rights under the expanded list.
The state clarified that the two men are still able to vote in the upcoming election, but will be disqualified from voting in future elections unless their voting rights are restored. Alabama allows individuals with disqualifying felonies to apply to have their voting rights restored after completing their sentences, parole, and probation.
Attorney General Steve Marshall has stated that the law will be enforced after the November election, but will be vigorously enforced in all future elections. The Alabama voting ban on people with felony convictions dates back to the 1901 Constitution and was designed to disenfranchise Black people and poor white people. The list of felonies that result in the loss of voting rights was approved by lawmakers in 2017, including offenses such as murder, robbery, assault, felony theft, and drug trafficking.
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