SB241 Alabama 2014 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Tom Whatley

Republican

Co-Sponsor

Cam Ward

Session

Regular Session 2014

Title

Elections, write-in votes, procedures to count, duties to judge of probate in co. elections, Secretary of State for state election, Secs. 17-6-28, 17-12-1 am'd.

Summary

This bill changes how write-in votes are counted in Alabama by allowing them to be counted with provisional ballots when a specific threshold is met for a given office in non-municipal general elections.

What This Bill Does

It amends Sections 17-6-28 and 17-12-1 to count write-in votes for a specific office only if the number of write-ins is at least the margin between the top two candidates. When the threshold is met, those write-ins are counted at the same time as provisional ballots, under centralized county procedures and with reporting to the Secretary of State. It preserves existing rules that write-ins must be properly marked and outlines who counts, reports, and pays for that counting, including potential voter-triggered counts with a bond to cover costs.

Who It Affects

• Voters in non-municipal general elections who cast write-in votes for a specific office; their write-in votes will be counted only if the threshold condition is satisfied.
• Election officials (judge of probate, county canvassing boards, sheriff, Secretary of State) who oversee counting, reporting, and funding of write-in vote operations.

Key Provisions

• Write-in votes are permitted only in non-municipal general elections and are counted only if the number of write-ins for that office is greater than or equal to the difference between the top two vote-getters for that office.
• When counted, write-in votes for that office are counted at the same time as provisional ballots and follow the specified central counting process.
• Ballots must be constructed to allow write-ins, and voters must properly register the write-in name in the designated space for the vote to be valid.
• If a ballot has an over-vote related to a write-in, the write-in is not counted for that office, but the rest of the ballot may be counted.
• Expenses for counting write-ins are reimbursable, and qualified electors can request counts with a bond to cover costs (county for county offices; Secretary of State for state/federal offices).
• Section 17-12-1 updates printing of results to include write-in counts for general elections and requires certificates to reflect write-in totals.

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