HB371 Alabama 2021 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Andrew SorrellAuditor

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2021

Title

Elections, voter lists, judge of probate to place public voter lists on Internet public notice website maintained by Sec. of State, counties authorized to opt out, municipalities authorized to publish municipal voter lists on Sec. of State notice website, Secs. 11-46-36, 17-4-1 am'd.

Summary

HB371 would require voter lists to be published online on a Secretary of State–run public notice website before primaries (with county opt-out) and allow municipalities to publish lists online as well, replacing most newspaper publication.

What This Bill Does

It creates and requires a public notice website operated by the Secretary of State for listing registered voters before each primary, unless a county votes to opt out. Counties can opt out if online publication would not adequately inform residents, otherwise the online list becomes the official notice. Municipal clerks would be allowed to publish municipal election voter lists on the same website. The Secretary of State may charge publication fees (public access remains free), and the site must be accessible 24/7 with archives and tools to verify accuracy and add omitted names.

Who It Affects

• Voters and residents in Alabama counties and municipalities, who gain online access to official voter lists and notices (subject to opt-out and accuracy rules).
• County commissions, probate judges, and municipal clerks, who must decide whether to publish online, manage opt-out decisions, certify lists, and coordinate with the Secretary of State.

Key Provisions

• Creates a public notice website (run by the Secretary of State) to publish lists of registered voters for primaries; counties may opt out if online publication is deemed insufficient.
• Requires publication of the list prior to the primary on the public notice website, with an opt-out process, and authorizes the county commission to determine adequacy of online notice.
• Authorizes municipal clerks to publish lists of qualified voters for municipal elections on the public notice website.
• Authorizes the Secretary of State to charge a publication fee to cover publication costs, but prohibits charging the public for website access.
• Lists published must include a certification of accuracy; if names are omitted, a 10-day window to add them exists, with supplemental lists posted online (or in newspaper if opt-out applies).
• The website must be publicly accessible 24/7, include an archives feature, and allow users to see notices by county.
• County commissions must provide advance notice to the public about the change to internet publication; if online publication is later found inadequate, newspaper publication continues until resolved.
• Section 8 amendments require publication of lists on the public notice website and authorize dissemination of lists to the Secretary of State for online posting; lists may be posted as preprinted newspaper inserts if desired.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Public Notices