HB346 Alabama 2012 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Charles O. Newton

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2012

Title

Judges, circuit and district, nonpartisan election, filing fee, Secs. 17-6-20, 17-6-24, 17-6-25, 17-13-8 am'd.

Summary

HB346 would move circuit and district court judge elections from partisan to nonpartisan, require a filing fee (or an indigency affidavit) and establish a new nonpartisan ballot system for those judicial races.

What This Bill Does

It requires circuit and district court judgeships to be elected on a nonpartisan basis and replaces party designations on ballots with an Official Nonpartisan Judicial Ballot. It creates a qualifying fee equal to two percent of the state's current judicial office salary (deposited into the State General Fund) or allows an affidavit of indigency in lieu of the fee, filed with the Secretary of State. It reorganizes ballot format and voting rules, including a two-step election process where, if no candidate wins a majority, the top two advance to the general election, with tie cases decided by lot.

Who It Affects

• Candidates for circuit or district court judgeships, who would run in nonpartisan races, must file candidacy declarations, pay the qualifying fee (two percent of the current salary) or submit an affidavit of indigency, and refrain from party designation.
• Voters, election officials, and the Secretary of State, who would see a new Official Nonpartisan Judicial Ballot, participate in a top-two general election process if no candidate gains a majority, and follow consolidated ballot and certification procedures for these judgeships.

Key Provisions

• Nonpartisan election of circuit and district court judgeships; candidates’ names appear on a nonpartisan ballot without party designation.
• Filing fee payable to the Secretary of State equal to two percent of the annual state salary for the judicial office, with an option to file an affidavit of indigency in lieu of the fee; fees deposited into the State General Fund.
• Creation of an Official Nonpartisan Judicial Ballot, listing all circuit and district court candidates in alphabetical order by surname, with offices designated and ballots structured to separate judicial places.
• Primary and general election procedures for judgeships, including top-two advancement to the general election if no majority, and tie-breaking by lot decided by the Chief Justice in the presence of the Governor.
• Candidates must declare candidacy without party affiliation; ballots and offices are arranged in a specified order, and each place is treated as a separate contest for election purposes.

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