---
type: "Bill"
title: "Absentee ballots, timeframe for applying to vote absentee, revised, to revise certain procedures for processing absentee ballots, Secs. 17-11-3, 17-11-10, 17-11-18 am'd."
description: "Absentee ballots, timeframe for applying to vote absentee, revised, to revise certain procedures for processing absentee ballots, Secs. 17-11-3, 17-11-10, 17-11-18 am'd."
jurisdiction: "us/states/al"
legislature: "Alabama Legislature"
session: "2021rs"
identifier: "HB 538"
citation: "Alabama HB 538 (2021rs)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Elections"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Baker"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 20
vote_count: 5
first_action: "2021-03-11T05:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2021-04-29T04:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/50e51fed-d1ad-4c77-9361-0f0e459aaa49"
source_url: "http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/Alison/SESSBillStatusResult.aspx?BILL=HB538"
source_hash: "c28bf5648fc26b0dee48fbf46ec01bba279aa800bcda4fdaa5d40982c853810e"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-al"]
---

# Alabama HB 538 (2021rs) — Absentee ballots, timeframe for applying to vote absentee, revised, to revise certain procedures for processing absentee ballots, Secs. 17-11-3, 17-11-10, 17-11-18 am'd.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/ALISON/SearchableInstruments/2021rs/PrintFiles/HB538-int.pdf)
2. **Amd/Sub 212043-2** (committee substitute) — [source](http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/ALISON/SearchableInstruments/2021rs/PrintFiles/212043-2.pdf)
3. **Amd/Sub 213643-1** (committee substitute) — [source](http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/ALISON/SearchableInstruments/2021rs/PrintFiles/213643-1.pdf)
4. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/ALISON/SearchableInstruments/2021rs/PrintFiles/HB538-eng.pdf)
5. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/ALISON/SearchableInstruments/2021rs/PrintFiles/HB538-enr.pdf)

## Votes

- Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass adopted Roll Call 565 — **79–16** (pass) · lower
- Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass adopted Roll Call 1134 — **25–5** (pass) · upper
- Motion to Adopt adopted Roll Call 564 — **78–9** (pass) · lower
- Baker motion to Concur In and Adopt adopted Roll Call 999 — **81–12** (pass) · lower
- Singleton motion to Adopt adopted Roll Call 1133 — **21–9** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Baker — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2021-03-11T05:00:00+00:00** Read for the first time and referred to the House of Representatives committee on Constitution, Campaigns and Elections `reading-1, referral-committee`
- **2021-03-18T04:00:00+00:00** Read for the second time and placed on the calendar 1 amendment `reading-2`
- **2021-03-30T04:00:00+00:00** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2021-03-30T04:00:00+00:00** Constitution, Campaigns and Elections Amendment Offered `amendment-introduction`
- **2021-03-30T04:00:00+00:00** Motion to Adopt adopted Roll Call 564 `amendment-passage`
- **2021-03-30T04:00:00+00:00** Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass adopted Roll Call 565 `passage`
- **2021-03-30T04:00:00+00:00** Engrossed
- **2021-04-01T04:00:00+00:00** Read for the first time and referred to the Senate committee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development `reading-1, referral-committee`
- **2021-04-22T04:00:00+00:00** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2021-04-22T04:00:00+00:00** Singleton Amendment Offered `amendment-introduction`
- **2021-04-22T04:00:00+00:00** Singleton motion to Adopt adopted Roll Call 1133 `amendment-passage`
- **2021-04-22T04:00:00+00:00** Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass adopted Roll Call 1134 `passage`
- **2021-04-27T04:00:00+00:00** Concurrence Requested
- **2021-04-27T04:00:00+00:00** Baker motion to Concur In and Adopt adopted Roll Call 999 `passage`
- **2021-04-27T04:00:00+00:00** Concurred in Second House Amendment
- **2021-04-27T04:00:00+00:00** Enrolled
- **2021-04-29T04:00:00+00:00** Signature Requested
- **2021-04-29T04:00:00+00:00** Clerk of the House Certification
- **2021-04-29T04:00:00+00:00** Assigned Act No. 2021-364. `executive-signature`
- **2021-04-29T04:00:00+00:00** Delivered to Governor at 10:11 a.m. on April 29, 2021. `executive-receipt`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/50e51fed-d1ad-4c77-9361-0f0e459aaa49`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Alabama legislature records).