HB602 Alabama 2013 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Charles O. Newton

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2013

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

HB602 would shift circuit and district court judge elections from partisan to nonpartisan, require a filing fee (or indigency affidavit), and establish a separate nonpartisan judicial ballot.

What This Bill Does

If passed, judges for circuit and district courts would be elected nonpartisan. Candidates must file with the Secretary of State at least 60 days before the primary and may not list a party affiliation. A qualifying fee of two percent of the office's annual salary would be paid to the State General Fund, unless the candidate files an affidavit of indigency. Ballots would use an Official Nonpartisan Judicial Ballot with no party designations, and the election would use nonpartisan primaries and a general election with a top-two system if no candidate wins a majority; tie situations would be resolved by the Chief Justice by lot.

Who It Affects

• Candidates for circuit or district court judgeships: must run nonpartisan, file with the Secretary of State, and pay a two percent salary-based filing fee or submit an affidavit of indigency.
• Voters in Alabama: ballots for circuit and district court judges would be nonpartisan, with no party labels, and judges would be elected through a nonpartisan primary and a possibly top-two general election.

Key Provisions

• Sections 17-6-20, 17-6-24, 17-6-25, and 17-13-8 are amended to require nonpartisan election of circuit and district court judges and to provide for a nonpartisan Official Judicial Ballot.
• Circuit and district court judgeships become nonpartisan; candidates cannot designate party affiliation on candidacy declarations or ballots.
• Candidates must file a declaration of candidacy with the Secretary of State at least 60 days before the primary and pay a qualifying fee equal to two percent of the current annual salary for the office, deposited into the State General Fund; or file an affidavit of indigency in lieu of the fee.
• Ballots shall include an Official Nonpartisan Judicial Ballot listing circuit and district court judges, with no party emblems or designations, and with positions identified (Place No. 1, Place No. 2, etc.).
• If multiple judges are to be elected at once, separate places will be designated on the nonpartisan ballot, and candidates may not run for more than one place.
• Election process for these offices uses a nonpartisan primary; if no majority, the top two vote-getters advance to the general election; the candidate with the most votes in the general election wins, with tie-breaks decided by the Chief Justice by lot.
• The act becomes effective on the first day of the third month after passage and 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

Elections