SB19 Alabama 2015 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Cam Ward

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2015

Title

Municipalities, elections under Title 11, absentee ballots, voting machines, provisions regarding tie votes, Secs. 11-46-32, 11-46-33, 11-46-55 am'd.

Description

Under existing municipal election law, the mayor is required to deliver absentee election supplies to the clerk not less than 21 days prior to an election. Title 17, Code of Alabama 1975, requires specific deadlines for providing absentee election supplies in municipal elections.

This bill would remove conflicting language in Title 11 in order to conform to Title 17.

Under existing municipal election law, the term voting machines is used in Chapter 46 of Title 11, Code of Alabama 1975. The term voting machines in Chapter 46 generally applies to mechanical voting machines. Other election laws authorize the governing bodies of counties, municipalities, and other political subdivisions to adopt and direct the use of electronic vote counting systems.

This bill would distinguish voting machines from electronic vote counting systems in municipal elections in order to clarify that the statutory requirements applicable to voting machines do not apply to municipalities using electronic vote counting systems.

Under existing municipal election law, in the event of a tie after a runoff election, the municipal governing body votes to determine the winner. Section 17-12-23, Code of Alabama 1975, requires that, when there is a tie between the two highest candidates for the same office in a runoff election, the winner is decided by lot.

This bill would provide that in a municipal election, the municipal governing body would have one week from the runoff election canvassing date to decide the winner of the runoff election. If the governing body fails to act within that time, the tie would be decided by lot not later than 5:00 P.M. on the first Tuesday following the runoff election.

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Subjects

Municipalities