SB85 Alabama 2010 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Linda Coleman-MadisonSenator

Democrat

Session

Regular Session 2010

Title

Elections, write-in candidates, registration with judge of probate or Secretary of State prior to election required, compliance with Fair Campaign Practices Act and State Ethics Law required, Sec. 17-6-28 am'd.

Summary

SB85 would require write-in candidates to register and follow ethics laws, and require voters to properly mark write-in votes, while limiting write-ins to non-municipal general elections.

What This Bill Does

It changes how write-in votes are counted: a write-in must have the candidate registered as an official write-in candidate and comply with ethics laws for the vote to count. Voters must write the candidate's name on the ballot and place a mark in the designated space for that office; ballots must be built to allow write-ins, and unregistered or improperly marked write-ins won’t be counted. The bill also details how over-votes are handled and requires poll workers to check for over-votes when counting write-ins. Finally, write-ins would be permitted only in non-municipal general elections.

Who It Affects

• Voters participating in non-municipal general elections, who must properly write in a candidate’s name and mark the correct space for the vote to count.
• Write-in candidates and election officials, who must register official write-in candidates 90 days before the election and comply with the Fair Campaign Practices Act and State Ethics Law; election officials must apply the counting rules, including over-vote checks.

Key Provisions

• Write-in candidates must register with the Secretary of State or judge of probate within 90 days prior to the election as official write-in candidates and comply with the Fair Campaign Practices Act and State Ethics Law for their vote to be counted.
• Voters must write the candidate's name on the ballot and mark the space designated for that office; ballots must be constructed to allow write-ins; write-in votes are counted only if properly registered and marked, with over-votes handled per the bill.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 25, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Elections