House committee tables voter registration bill

A House commitee Wednesday morning tabled a bill that would have pushed back the deadline to register and vote in an election from 14 days prior to the election to 30 days.

The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Jack Williams, R-Vestavia Hills, would also have moved out the maximum distance a candidate can campaign outside a polling place from 30 feet to 150 feet.

Williams said afterward he believed the committee move effectively killed the legislation for the session. During the debate, Williams said registrars needed added time to develop accurate voter polls, and said that voters should not be bothered by campaigners as they go into vote.

"Folks have a right to come to a polling place and park their car and walk into the polling place without having folks shove things in their face," he said.

Barry Stephenson, the chairman of the Jefferson County Board of Registrars,

said last week

they welcomed the move to 14 days, saying budget and staff cuts had made the 10-day window difficult. However, he said he was not aware of registrars pushing for a 30-day window.

But members of the House Constitution, Campaigns and Elections committee questioned the need for the bill, noting that the voter registration deadline had been pushed from 10 to 14 days last year amid difficult negotiations. Opponents say the legislation would make it more difficult for poor and minority voters to cast ballots.

"There are always going to be problems," said Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham. "We worked so hard across party lines to get to 14 days."

Rep. Paul Beckman, R-Prattville, also noted that the distance requirement would be about the length of half of a football field, which he called a "big area." Williams said his proposal would have brought Alabama within national averages.

Alabama's neighbors cut off voter registration at least 29 days before an election. Nationwide, cut-off dates vary from eight days to 30 days, though ten states and the District of Columbia allow voters to register on Election Day and cast a ballot.