Voter Reference Foundation has long relied on Alabama’s voter registration data to support lawful efforts focused on election transparency, voter participation research, and list maintenance analysis in order to further public confidence in the electoral process. Since our organization was founded, public access to voter registration records has been the foundation of our work allowing citizens to independently review election systems and data and identify potential inaccuracies or irregularities.
The recently adopted changes to Alabama law in HB67, scheduled to take effect on June 1, raise serious concerns about whether independent organizations will continue to have meaningful access to the data necessary to perform these functions. While we recognize the goal of protecting sensitive personal information and preventing commercial misuse of voter data, the practical effect of these changes could create a situation that conflicts with the public inspection provision established in the NVRA.
The foundation of election integrity has always been rooted in public trust. That trust is strengthened when election processes can be independently inspected and verified by individuals outside of the government. Establishing new restrictions around voter data access eliminates transparency and independent verification efforts become increasingly difficult if not impossible.
We encourage Alabama policymakers to look for solutions that preserve independent oversight and compliance with Federal laws like the NVRA. As the June 1st effective date approaches, we will continue evaluating the impact of these changes and considering what options may remain available to continue our transparency and election integrity efforts. Unlike states who seek to circumvent the NVRA’s public inspection clause, VRF will always make every effort to comply with state and federal laws. When the bill becomes effective, Alabama will likely be moved to a prohibited status on voteref.com and the existing information will be cleared from our public database until a resolution can be found.