FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 21, 2020

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Mike Lewis (334) 353-2199
Joy Patterson (334) 242-7491

Attorney General Steve Marshall Announces Federal Appeals Court Upholds Alabama’s Voter ID Law

(MONTGOMERY) – Attorney General Steve Marshall announced Tuesday that the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court ruling in favor of the State in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Alabama’s voter ID law.

“The federal appeals court decision affirms that Alabama’s voter ID law is indeed constitutional,” said Attorney General Steve Marshall.

“Opponents have repeatedly argued that Alabama’s voter ID law’s requirement that a voter must provide a photo ID is overly burdensome. As I have previously stated, Alabama’s voter identification law, by both design and practice, is easily satisfied, and it contains procedures to allow anyone who does not have a photo ID to obtain one. The appeals court in its opinion agreed.”

“The burden of providing a photo ID pursuant to Ala. Code ß 17-9-30 in order to vote is a minimal burden on Alabama’s voters – especially when Alabama accepts so many different forms of photo ID and makes acquiring one simple and free for voters who lack a valid ID but wish to obtain one,” the Court stated.

“My Constitutional Defense attorneys dedicated much of two years traveling the state of Alabama interviewing many witnesses including local election officials and private citizens in preparation to defend our voter ID law,” Attorney General Marshall added. “I am very proud of their hard work as well as for the assistance of many individuals who gave of their time to help the State in preparation of our case.”

A copy of the court order is linked here.

For anyone who does not already have a photo ID (a list of acceptable photo IDs can be found at the Alabama Secretary of State’s website at
https://www.sos.alabama.gov/alabama-votes/photo-voter-id/valid-ids), and would
like a free voter photo ID in Alabama, please visit the Alabama Secretary of State’s web site: http://sos.alabama.gov/alabama-votes/photo-voter-id/obtain-free-photo-voter-id

[For links, clip PDF icon at upper right]

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