Alabama Constitution Section 31 - Residence not forfeited by temporary absence from state.
Alabama Constitution – Section 31: Residence Not Forfeited by Temporary Absence from State
This section of the Alabama Constitution states:
"No citizen shall be disfranchised, or deprived of any of the rights or privileges secured to any citizen thereof, unless by the law of the land, or the judgment of his peers; nor shall any citizen be exiled, or forced to leave the state, except by the law of the land. No person shall be deemed to have lost his residence by reason of his absence while employed in the service of the state or of the United States, nor while engaged in the navigation of the waters of this state or of the United States, or of the high seas, nor while a student at any institution of learning, nor while kept in an almshouse or asylum, nor while confined in public prison."
Key Points:
Protection of Rights: Citizens cannot lose their rights or be exiled without due process ("law of the land").
Temporary Absence: Absence from the state for specific reasons (e.g., military service, navigation, education, institutional care, or imprisonment) does not cause someone to lose their legal residence in Alabama.
Purpose: This ensures that people are not unfairly disenfranchised or lose legal residency status because of legitimate and often unavoidable absences.
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