When State Rep. Jamie Kiel (R-Russellville) proposed an anti-ballot harvesting bill in 2023, and again in 2024, he received a lot of heat from other lawmakers and the media, who didn't see it as an issue in Alabama.
However, after a recent seven-count indictment for voter fraud in Clay County, Kiel said he feels his efforts have been vindicated. Thanks to his bill that passed last session, he expects to expose more cases of ballot harvesting now that there are real consequences for such crimes.
"When we got to committee, on the House floor, and even in the media, I mean, it was time after time people saying that this was a solution looking for a problem, that there was no problem in the state with our absentee applications or the ballots, and that we were just looking to make a political statement to get political mileage. And obviously, that's just not true," Kiel said Thursday on FM Talk 106.5's "The Jeff Poor Show." "I think we're going to find more and more instances as we dig deeper into the election process, specifically the absentee ballot process."
He continued, "If you watched the committee meetings, or you watched the debate on the floor in 2023 and in 2024, there were lines of people who were lined up at those committee meetings, who were there to take shots at me, or take shots at Republicans… But it was very clear that, you know, if you're blind or disabled, you can get whoever you want to help you. And, you know, it still did not, I mean, it was just very disingenuous because they still go to the media, and they were still ridiculing me and ridiculing the legislature for trying to take advantage of someone who couldn't help themselves. It just was not true."
While he understands the need for absentee ballots, Kiel said everyone who can should vote on election day, even if it's less "convenient." As the state's only "early voting method," Kiel said absentee voting was the main vulnerability in Alabama's otherwise secure elections. He said the bill helps incentivize prosecutors to pursue cases that would not have been worth their time a year ago by increasing the penalty for voter fraud and ballot harvesting.
"We do need to make sure that we have it nailed down to a point where fraud cannot happen," he said. "... We've got a very important election coming up. And, you know, this does send the message that people are watching. The Secretary of State's office is watching, the Attorney General's office is watching. And I mean, I hope that people get the message that this is very serious. We take election integrity very seriously."
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