The Alabama House Constitution, Campaigns and Elections committee meeting is underway. It's in the House chamber, and we just had an odd situation over the livestream where we could hear a sidebar conversation better than the actual committee proceedings. #alpolitics
House chamber carries over a bill on absentee voting. Now we're on the bill to move the primaries and runoffs next year. But bill's sponsor is now saying there could be a conflict with mayoral elections. #alpolitics
And the bill is carried over.
Redistricting next year looks like it's going to be even more contentious than usual. Have to wonder if state leaders might try to do it in a special session, because it will suck a lot of oxygen out of the regular one. #alpolitics
Redistricting next year looks like it's going to be even more contentious than usual. Have to wonder if state leaders might try to do it in a special session, because it will suck a lot of oxygen out of the regular one. #alpolitics
Just lost the livestream to the chamber.
It's back. We're on a bill from Rep. Danny Garrett, R-Trussville, that would allow absentee election managers to designate more areas to turn in absentee ballots. Garrett says he wants to make it easier for JeffCo voters to hand in their votes. #alpolitics
Rep. Chris Pringle, R-Mobile, is pushing back on this, arguing that it would create early voting. Garrett says he thinks early, in-person voting is a good idea. #alpolitics
Pringle: "They're going to bus them in and pack them out." Says primaries will be "stolen." Garrett said Pringle was going way beyond what the bill would do. #alpolitics
Rep. Adline Clarke, D-Mobile, is offering an amendment that would allow an absentee ballot manager to designate someone to oversee satellite locations. #alpolitics
Garrett says he'll allow a vote on the amendment, but doesn't think it will be a problem because absentee managers would stagger times for absentee voting. Clarke says many vote absentee out of habit. #alpolitics
Amendment is defeated. #alpolitics
Rep. Matt Simpson, R-Daphne, is up saying this will be valuable in Mobile County, a very large county by area. #alpolitics
Chair Bob Fincher, R-Woodland, is now expressing concerns that the bill would draw circuit clerks in rural counties out of their other duties. "We're adding to their burden with this bill, it occurs to me." #alpolitics
Garrett: "This bill does not make this mandatory ... in a county where this is not needed, this totally a decision of the county commission." Needed in Jefferson and Mobile; in a smaller county, Garrett says, this might not be necessary. #alpolitics
The House Constitution, Campaigns and Elections Committee approves Garrett's bill on a voice vote. Goes to the House. #alpolitics
Now a bill from Rep. Alan Baker, R-Brewton, that would allow counting of absentee ballots to start at 7 a.m. on Election Day & require applications for absentee ballots to be mailed in 10 days before an election. (They could be hand delivered five days prior.) #alpolitics
Clarke is up asking about shortening the time for mail-in ballots. "Does this give the vote the same number of days to make an application, or is it five fewer days?"
Fincher says it would move it from five to 10 days. FWIW: This is the language in the bill as filed. #alpolitics 
This is for applications for absentee ballots, not absentee ballots themselves. #alpolitics
House committee passes Baker's bill on a voice vote. #alpolitics
And that's it from the committee today. #alpolitics
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