HB366 Alabama 2011 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Jamie Ison

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2011

Title

Class 2 municipalities (Mobile), city council, vacancies filled by a special election, setting of date, Sec. 11-44C-22 am'd.

Summary

HB366 lets Class 2 municipalities like Mobile set the date for a city council vacancy election within a 60- to 120-day window after the vacancy, instead of automatically aligning it with another election.

What This Bill Does

The bill changes how vacancy elections are scheduled: the council chooses a date within 60 to 120 days after the vacancy occurs. If a general, special, or constitutional election happens in that window, the vacancy election is held on that date; otherwise the mayor schedules it on the council-approved date. Vacancies with less than one year left in the term are still filled by mayor appointment with council confirmation. If reapportionment changes district boundaries but new districts aren’t in effect yet, the old district boundaries remain for filling the vacancy.

Who It Affects

• Residents of Class 2 municipalities (such as Mobile) who will be affected by how and when a city council vacancy is elected.
• City officials, including the mayor and the city council, who gain authority to set the election date and to fill certain vacancies by appointment.

Key Provisions

• Applies only to Class 2 municipalities.
• Special elections to fill council vacancies must be scheduled between 60 and 120 days after the vacancy occurs; dates are set by the council at the next regular meeting or a subsequent meeting.
• If there is a matching general, special, or constitutional election within that window, the vacancy election is held on that date; otherwise the mayor calls the election on the council-set date.
• Vacancies with less than one year remaining are filled by mayor appointment with confirmation by the council.
• If vacancy occurs after reapportionment has changed district boundaries but before new districts take effect, the old boundaries remain for filling the vacancy.
• The act becomes effective immediately after passage and governor approval.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Municipalities