Statement from Dr. Will Boyd On AL HB541 SAVE Act

From the Boyd campaign 

On March 19 the Alabama House of Representatives passed HB541. This bill is known as the Safeguard Alabama Voter Engagement (SAVE) Act, but it does not deliver voter engagement. In fact, it creates another roadblock for Alabama voters that can lead to voter disenfranchisement. The Voting Rights Acts of 1965 was passed to prevent discrimination against voters. This bill is an assault on the voting rights of 300,000 independents in Alabama.

HB541, as currently written, will require voters to register as a member of one of the two major parties in order to participate in the primary elections. Many independent voters do not wish to register with a party, so they would not be allowed to participate in selecting candidates. However, their tax dollars would still be used to fund the elections.

The current law already prohibits voters from voting in a run-off if they voted in the opposite primary. This added legislation is unnecessary, a waste of taxpayer dollars, and an attack on voter rights.

I believe in our democracy, and I believe that voters should have the freedom to cast their vote, regardless of party registration. Our tax dollars are paying the salaries for leaders, and these leaders need to respect and engage with the voters to earn their votes, rather than look for repeated ways to make it harder for the people to participate.

 Dr. Will Boyd, 

Democratic Candidate for Governor of Alabama

For more information on Dr. Boyd and his campaign for Governor, visit https://drwillboyd.com or follow him on social media.

Editor’s note: for more information on HB541, including the historic effects of closing primaries on voter turnout, see Closed Primaries Bill Introduced Into Alabama Legislature on ALPolitics.com.