A federal appeals court has upheld a lower court ruling that blocks a portion of a new Alabama law that limits the type of assistance voters can receive when completing mail-in ballot applications.
Supporters of the law say it would bolster election integrity by limiting opportunities for ballot harvesting, while critics said it unfairly targets voters who are blind, disabled, or unable to read or write.
The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals issued an order on Oct. 11 that denies Alabama’s request to overturn a lower court’s injunction issued in September, thereby preventing the state from enforcing those parts of Senate Bill 1 (SB1) that prohibited blind, disabled, or illiterate voters from getting help with absentee ballot application in exchange for compensation. The appeals court ruling also upholds the lower court’s decision to block criminal penalties against individuals assisting these voters by prefilling or submitting their mail-in ballot applications….