Federal Court Says ID, Witnesses Required For Absentee Voting
People who want to vote by absentee ballot now must provide a photo ID to apply for an absentee ballot and have the signatures of two witnesses or a notary to cast the ballot itself.
A federal court ruled Tuesday that the state should enforce those requirements.
Photo ID and witnesses have been required under the law for previous elections in Alabama. But a federal judge ruled last month that they were overly burdensome during a pandemic for older people and people with health conditions. The U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday overruled the earlier order issued by U.S. District Court Judge Abdul Kallon.
“The photo ID and witness requirements are necessary deterrents for those looking to commit voter fraud, and I am glad the 11th Circuit has recognized their importance in safeguarding the elections process,” Secretary of State John Merrill said in a statement.
However, the 11th Circuit did uphold a portion of Kallon’s ruling that said the state could not bar counties from offering curbside voting. Merrill’s statement said his office had not been notified of any counties that wanted to offer curbside voting, but the state intends to appeal that portion of the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Reddit challenges Australia’s world-first law banning children under 16 from social media
Global online forum Reddit files a court challenge to Australian law blocking children under 16 from holding accounts on the world's most popular social media platforms.
Trump is trying to preempt state AI laws via an executive order. It may not be legal
The executive order is the latest in a series of attempts by the Trump administration to hold back state-level AI rules. But many Republicans are also uncomfortable with the effort.
In a setback for Trump, Indiana lawmakers defeat redistricting plan
Indiana Republicans resisted the call by President Trump for redistricting. He and the state's Republican governor threatened to back primary challenges against senators who wouldn't get on board.
Head Start centers told to avoid ‘disability,’ ‘women’ and more in funding requests
New court documents reveal a list of nearly 200 words or phrases the Trump administration told Head Start programs it does not want to see in their funding requests.
Alabama commission approves licenses for medical marijuana dispensaries as program eyes 2026 start
Commission Chairman Rex Vaughn estimated the products will be available in the spring of 2026. The state’s medical marijuana program has been delayed by false starts and litigation over who should hold the licenses to sell and grow cannabis.
Forget flowers: These ancient plants attract pollinators by getting hot
While many modern plants use colorful flowers to attract pollinators, ancient palm-like plants called cycads lure them by heating up and glowing in the infrared.
