Federal Court Blocks Parts of Alabama Voting Law

A federal court has issued a preliminary injunction against parts of Alabama's Senate Bill 1 (SB1), which criminalizes assistance with absentee ballot applications for disabled, blind, and low-literacy voters. U.S. District Judge R. David Proctor ruled that aspects of the law violate Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act, which guarantees assistance from a person of the voter's choice. The law, introduced as a measure against ballot harvesting, imposes harsh penalties for providing help, including making it a felony to accept payment for assisting with absentee ballots. Proctor's ruling allows most of the law to remain in effect but specifically protects certain voters from its restrictions. Advocacy groups that challenged the law celebrated the ruling as a vital step towards ensuring voting accessibility, while Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall's office plans to appeal the decision. The case highlights ongoing tensions in states with new voting legislation perceived to limit voter assistance.