11th Circuit Court of Appeals Upholds Lower Court Ruling:
Elderly and Disabled Voters are Entitled to Modifications to Voting Process
As a result of action taken by the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, voters with disabilities and elderly voters in Alabama can access modifications to the voting process designed to diminish the risk of exposure to the Coronavirus during the upcoming July 14th runoff election. The Court of Appeals denied an emergency motion filed by the state of Alabama that sought to stay the June 12th decision of Judge Abdul Kallon in People First of Alabama, et al. v. John Merrill that held that curbside voting can be implemented, if desired, by county election officials and that voters in Jefferson, Lee, and Mobile counties can obtain and submit absentee ballots without having to submit a copy of a photo ID or secure a witness signature. The Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and the Southern Poverty Law Center filed this voting access case on behalf of older voters and voters who, based on their disability or medical condition, are at heightened risk of contracting COVID-19.