Case: League of Women Voters of Alabama v. Merrill

03-CV-2020-900702 | Alabama state trial court

Filed Date: 2020

Case Ongoing

Clearinghouse coding in progress

Case Summary

NOTE: This case is being tracked in close to real time by the Stanford/MIT Healthy Elections Project. So for information, see their tracker. According to their summary as of 09/12/2020, Facts: The LWVAL and plaintiff voters filed suit over the state’s lack of safe and accessible voting processes amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Claims: (1) Expiration of Secretary of State’s emergency waiver of ‘no-excuse’ absentee voting is violation of the fundamental right to vote under Article I section 33 and …

NOTE: This case is being tracked in close to real time by the Stanford/MIT Healthy Elections Project. So for information, see their tracker.

According to their summary as of 09/12/2020,

Facts: The LWVAL and plaintiff voters filed suit over the state’s lack of safe and accessible voting processes amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Claims: (1) Expiration of Secretary of State’s emergency waiver of ‘no-excuse’ absentee voting is violation of the fundamental right to vote under Article I section 33 and Article VIII section 177 of the Alabama Constitution; (2) failure to exercise emergency authority to waive photo ID requirement for absentee ballot application is violation of same sections of Alabama Constitution; (3) failure to exercise emergency authority to waive requirement of notary or 2 witness for submission of completed absentee ballot is a violation of same sections of Alabama Constitution; (4) failure to modify deadlines for absentee ballot (application and submission) is a violation of Alabama Constitution; (5) failure to exercise emergency authority to adopt safety procedures for in person voting, including early voting to promote social distancing, is a violation of same sections of Alabama Constitution. The suit requests that the court declare the defendants failures violates the plaintiffs’ right to vote as guaranteed by Alabama Constitution, enjoin defendants from failing to modify absentee ballot requirements and failing to adopt safety measures for in person voting, and enter a preliminary injunction ordering defendants (Secretary of State Merrill and Governor Ivey) to promptly submit an emergency plan remedying these constitutional violations and notifying all Alabama voters of emergency measures.

People


Judge(s)

Gaines, J.R. (Alabama)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Blacksher, James U. (Alabama)

Dowd, August S. (Alabama)

McGuire, Joseph Mitchell (Alabama)

Segall, Robert D. (Alabama)

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document

03-CV-2020-900702

Complaint

May 28, 2020

May 28, 2020

Complaint

03-CV-2020-900702

Order

Aug. 5, 2020

Aug. 5, 2020

Order/Opinion

Resources

Docket

Last updated Aug. 30, 2023, 1:39 p.m.

Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.

Case Details

State / Territory: Alabama

Case Type(s):

Election/Voting Rights

Special Collection(s):

COVID-19 (novel coronavirus)

Healthy Elections COVID litigation tracker

Key Dates

Filing Date: 2020

Case Ongoing: Yes